Friendship
by Konous the grey
Summary: What is it really? Is it the idea that two people should exchange items between each other for mutual trust? Or is it something more? This is the tale of one Heroes discovery of Friendship, in the most unlikely source, a Villain.


Friendship

Konous the Grey

01-16-06

Creeping death looms ever closer to me, skeletal grasp wrapped around my throat, oxygen deprivation is to be its scythe tonight. Cavernous, carnivorous rock, belly of of the beast is my tomb. Though I have long known of death, known I could die, I did not care, not out of "granduerous" beliefs of immortality, but merely that my life and my death would be justified so long as it protected the people of my home, my family, friends, my loved ones. But to die here...alone...with HIM! HE is a person responsible for more murders more deaths than most people can dream of. Nearly one and all villains answer to him in some way, weather through favors owed to him or out of some twisted allegiance wrought by the charisma he inspires in the monsters of his home. The Horrid Beast, Leper Messiah, the Prince of the Rouge Isles, it is almost too much for me to take in, the one mind bending fact. 'I'm going to die alone in the dark of suffocation with Konous-Negative.'.

He hasn't moved at all since the rocks caved in, I spent what felt like hours trying to look for movable rocks, anything to get out of here, brief search had revealed the all too terrible truth. The rocks which had caved in around us had left no gaps for us to push out of. Us...I should be flogged for including that..._monster _in the same category as myself, I know most people would. And here I sit, I have no idea how long I'm going to last in here, and I have to wonder how much energy I've wasted moving about those rocks. I looked at him and tried to drink in what I was seeing, I had often asked myself 'What does Konous-Negative' look like?' I will say this, at first glance he's nothing impressive. Almost like a mummy he's covered in cloth of varying styles, his boots, his arms, and his skull mummified behind layers of brown cloth of a sand paper texture. Despite contrast the smooth, yet worn and tattered, corporal, cape and cowl wrapped around his lower face, mirrored by a pair of goggles, only helped to intensify the effect. And upon his upper arms, the shoulders, his gloves and boots, rusted chains, but perhaps it was not rust, but blood of his enemies he'd slain kept around for terror inspiring effect. But most of all, beneath this cloth, these chains, lay metal "under workings", the all too faint sound of servos twisting and turning, he was part machine, if not part then all, mind and heart as well if not merely his body.

"How long do we have?" I ask, my eyes never leaving him, ready to bring my sword at ready to end him. "Heh." A grunt? A faint chuckle or perhaps a half of a 'Hmph'? Regardless he responds. "What makes you think I know?" He's smirking, I know he is. "You had to have killed people by suffocation at some point, I'm sure your very much familiar with it as a mode of execution." I clarify, venom dripping from glands I never knew I had. He looks up, calculating in his head I'm sure the time we have to live, or how he can use this situation to his advantage to break me. "Well, given the size...I'd say we have a good few hours." Thoughts racing through me. 'Hours?! Not minutes? How could this be?' Waving his hand about in a professor like manner he lectured an explanation to me as though he'd read my mind. "This rock, formed by the volcanic activity here in Paragon City, is unique, as are most things involved with our urban metropolis. Most volcanoes here exhibit these rock formations, designed with almost tree like Phloem, allowing them to contain the molten magma by releasing it and with it nutrients in minerals in controlled bursts, hence why the fruit and vegetables and the live stock which feed off of those very things are so healthy. All the benefits of a volcano without the piercing destruction wrought by their all too deadly eruptions. In our case this same Phloem hollowing in the rock is carrying air to us, thus prolonging our time here," My eyes lit up. Hope? I might live? I might see my family again? All too easily struck down. "However, you and I should both realize, that help is far beyond us, even by hero and villain standards we are ages from any aid, this place will be where we die, and even if some measure of help did arrive it would be for only one of us, they'd surely kill the other." Meegelle took that time to lie down. Perhaps preparing himself for a future position he'd hold. 'People come up with all these different ideas of which is the worst way to die, but God, being imminently aware of your own death but not quite knowing when I think is even worse. Damn it, I would have much rather died up there.'

(Seperation)

Meegelle stared at the cave entrance, one of many which dotted around Paragon City, especially out here along the many minor islands dotted around Peregrine Island. Here among these tiny rafts of land that held on top of them the many Giant Monsters of the Devouring Earth each 6 stories tall. The crystalline bodies of the Lattices, the "neanderthalic" body of the rock gollems individually known as Quarry, the interweaving mesh of vine, tree and leaf to create Thorn, and the much smaller 5 story monster Stropharia which resembled almost identically the mushroom it was named after save for the humanoid arms and legs. Pulling out his Cell phone he looked up his Contacts lists for Unai Kemen and called him up. Unai was not one to let his cell phone ring more than once, as a contact it's really bad manners to leave your Heroes hanging especially when they count on you to give them information. Unai did not disappoint as hardly before the final ring ended a voice came from the other side. "Yello, this Unai, who may I ask is speaking?"

"Unai, it's me Meegelle, I'm at the entrance man, just calling to confirm my arrival." Taking the time to rest a little among the foliage Meegelle could hear the nodding head of Unai distinctly from his brief and rapid 'mhm'es.

"Ah, good to hear Meegelle, how's the stealth unit I made for you? Is it working right, and what about the little jet pack I gave you?" Unai asked as he he dealt with another hero who needed directions to the Peregrine Island Ferry. A pause, though brief was highly poignant as Unai had only known Meegelle to pause when someone said something either offensive or stupid. "Unai, I couldn't be talking to you right now if either of those didn't work. I mean come on you gave me the Jet pack so I wouldn't swim my way to the island, I mean come on use some common sense." An embarrassed however at the same time quite surprised voice came from the other end. "Really you actually used them? I'm almost too shocked for words. Soooo, how did they turn out?"

Scanning the area at all the Devouring Earth roaming around that had not even paid him the time to give him a second glance Meegelle couldn't help but feel nervous as a Lattice, Quarry, Thorn, and Stropharia stood around much like loitering. However, since the Devouring Earth were all once people even these giant hulking brutes it wouldn't be too hard to believing they probably just chatting. "It's working great Unai, I haven't been spotted or heard, and thanks for the Jet pack, contrary to popular belief I don't want to swim the distance between Peregrine Island and 'Monster Island' just for a good work out. I'm all about self improvement but not when peoples lives are on the line."

Unai let loose a friendly laugh pointed at Meegelle. "I know man, but I can't help but make a few jokes here and there, it's just in good fun though," his tone rotated from light and cheerful to stern and "unreproachful" with all the "frictionlessness" and fluidity of person who'd long learned to separate his 'friendly' persona, and his 'business' persona. "Listen to me carefully though Meegelle, this isn't a run about mission. I had some friends in the geological department of S.E.R.A.P.H. look into this seismic activity, there is not tectonic plate movement going on beneath the Earths crust anywhere near Paragon. Which means that what ever is on 'Monster Island' right now in that cave is causing the seismic activity. Right now it's just a murmur of an Earthquake, not enough to cause more than a slight vibration in the ground hardly noticeable." And Meegelle had to agree on that part, there was a movement beneath his feet, much like when music gets played too loud and you stand next to the stereo. "Well that's just the weakened vibrations of it, near the epicenter deeper in the cave it's going to be stronger just to give you for warning, also the seismic activity itself is increasing steadily which means it won't be long till we have a full on sea quake. Which will result in-" "A Tsunami!" Meegelle interrupted loudly, nearly giving away his position to the Devouring Earth around him who began searching around trying to find the source of the disturbance of their small section of Eden. Taking a moment to wait for the danger of discovery to disappear Meegelle asked Unai to continue. "Correct, and if that happens the most major thoroughfare of Paragons Heroic elite will be awash with the driving force of mother nature's angry rage. Creating a situation of dire and "unproportioned" chaos. Giving the Villains a chance to reek the benefit of such unfortunate turn of events. You have to find that seismic vibration Meegelle, at all costs." Nodding in affirmation to accept the quest, Meegelle girded himself for what trials lurked ahead. "Roger that Unai, over and out." Turning off his cell phone and checking the life of the stealth unit and finding it in good charge Meegelle treaded into the gave taking care of his feet for every step drew him deeper and deeper into the into the heart of the quake.

It has been noted that on several occasions super villains will request the aid of lowly thugs and vandals to aid them in their deeds of malicious destruction, or their missions of dastardly mayhem. And it it also noted that on several occasions these same super villains are mocked for their use of these 'henchmen' as they called because it shows that the villain is weak and needs others to do the fighting for him. Konous-Negative on the other hand couldn't care less of the feelings of most Villains. Many were hardly evil to begin with, and more important to him was the deed, he didn't care how it got done, simply that it got done. A while ago he'd come to a brilliant idea. It was simple enough really, inspired by most common disasters. What normally happens in those situations is that the national guard of the area is called in and the situation by military force is held under control. However, Paragon City had a large population of Super Heroes, so even if someone managed to cause something that wide a scale, the Heroes would just take care of it. Well then, what if you had it occur where the strongest heroes were located? Which was the exact reason he was on 'Monster Island', far far away from civilization, so well protected by the fanatical Devouring Earth's greatest monsters and once more...the quiet comforts of home. A cave was the perfect place to get the old Villainous mojo flowing, and was often one of his prized thinking places for concocting schemes or, should he choose it, listen to music. "Heh, I wonder what all the tabloid and media nut cases would think if they found out I listened to Peter Gabriel? Probably try to find links in his music and my attacks. Bloody conspiracy theorists." He snorted. Looking about himself at his surroundings, as he tried to adjusted the already working and running 'Seismic Resonator', as he called it, which hadn't been quiet set to the right frequency, but that was something easily rectified, he just had to make sure he kept the frequency away from the resonance frequency of the rocks around himself and his lackeys spread throughout the cave. If he actually set the machine to the resonance frequency of the rocks...well that would be bad as all of it would come down around them. "Though, now that I think about it, this would more classify as Playing among the Rocks, than Digging in the Dirt." Satisfied with that logical conclusion he happily returned to his work. Or he would have, had he not sensed at that moment, a presence near him. He let out a sigh. He could never get any work done. "Come on out Kalinda, I know it's you." No answer for a moment, then. "How do you know it's Kalinda?"

He smirked, no one could see them, but everyone knew it when he did from his change in voice, and that was part of the little perks of the costume he wore, it irritated people to no end when they knew he was smirking, but would not show it to them despite their knowing it, a small but effective psychological ploy of his. "Your perfume, even if you work for Arachnos and are our most esteemed Lord Recluse's most treasured seer, you still keep high standard in maintaining your feminine attributes," He said scanning the room looking for the exact source of the presence. "But most of all, I remember your perfume, it mirrors your very nature, enigmatic and subtle, not the over bearing scent of roses, or other fermented erotic ilk, merely something made to make being around you slightly pleasant and enjoyable, instead over bearing on the senses."

Once again for a moment there was no response and then slowly, as though to add dramatic effect, or perhaps not quite used to using her stealth abilities, Kalinda appeared. Dressed formally in the Fortunata attire adorned by many women in Arachnos, the skin tight red "pleximetal" molded over every curve while at the same time providing ample protection from most super powered assaults. However outfits such as these were common amongst many Villainesses, and so desentised Konous-Negative had become that he hardly payed attention to her body and more to her face. Revealed now were the locks of raven and sharp calculating eyes often hidden by the helmet that was required of Fortunata's which more than likely protected their minds from psionic attacks. It would not due after all to have your seers' messages of impending danger halted by the control of Hero psychic, so Lord Recluse had told him. However, when you had powers like Kalinda's attacks such as those were slim to none, so more often than not you could find her without her helmet. "What have you got there Konous-Negative?" She said swaying her hips from side to side in a manner that made most men flush. Konous-Negative seemed unaffected. "Nothing nothing, you only see air my dear, but first things first...how did you find me?" He inquired.

Looking to the side, slightly smirking, inspecting her nails casually despite their being hidden by her all encompassing suit. "Oh I have my ways Konous-Negative, I have my ways." Eventually her eyes took her head back to facing Konous-Negative, whom simply stared straight ahead at her without any form of speech as a response, until "...No seriously, how did you find me?" Deadpan in tone as cast iron pot in a grave, Konous-Negative obviously wanted to get to the heart of the situation as fast as possible.

Giving in and shrugging her shoulders Kalinda responded back. "Sirocco told me." Not at all the great feat of deduction and discovery she'd made it seem with her bravado. At that Konous-Negative nodded. "I see I see, that makes sense, and I figured as much." And then returned to working on the Seismic Resonator, adjusting the frequencies and testing them on minute levels. Kalinda smirked. "What? Aren't you mad?" Truly she knew what his answer would be, but it was always fun to play with Konous-Negative this way. "Why should I be?" He responded, never taking his eyes off the machine, twisting turning, testing reseting over and over. The smirk grew stronger as she anticipated his response. "Well, most Villains would grow irritated, even enraged that a partner of theirs in a secret scheme had revealed the exact location of the operation to an outsider. They might even get so enraged that they'd be intent on killing their partner." Ending calibrations testing for a moment Konous-Negative looked back at Kalinda. "But you know well Kalinda, I man not like most Villains." And just like that he returned to work, not a word more. Strolling about, Kalinda got a good look at the machine he was working on, it was simple enough standing on one spike perfectly balanced with an oscillating outer shell that send off the vibrations in controlled amount so long as the oscillations remained constant.

Leaning in on the opposite side from where Konous-Negative was working she asked "So what is the purpose behind this little scheme of yours, hm?" No response at first. She leaned in closer till her eyes were looking up into his which were faced down at the machine. "Chaos and mayhem and by association pain, suffering, and misery in the hearts of all Good, Sirocco should have at least told you that much." He responded back turning his head slightly to the side so that she couldn't look him in the eye. Not with those eyes, all seeing and all telling. "Sirocco told me much Konous-Negative, both by what he said, and what he did not say. He told me you wanted this kept 'under wraps'. Most while this is standard procedure with Villainous activity of all sorts...the question is why would he keep silent on your reasons for doing it?" She said moving her head to get back into his view. He quickly shifted again, despite knowing she would just follow him once more. "What else could it possibly be Kalinda? Sirocco keeps silent because it's obvious what I want out of this, and because despite his telling you of this operation he knows you can be trusted, and to answer your previous question that is why I'm not mad. He wouldn't tell you unless he thought you could be trusted, but obviously you couldn't come to the conclusion he wanted you to. This is a ripe chance for Villains to strike a blow to Heroes everywhere, by destroying Peregrine Island, I will rid the Villains of Portal Corp, the Heroes one source of dimensional transport, think of it hundreds of Heroes stranded in dimensions not their own! Most of them apocalyptic! And then there's the Heroes in Peregrine, most will be killed in the Tsunami, leaving me and my contingent here to wreak havoc and possibly even set off even more destruction." Upon finishing his extended speech, Konous-Negative realized he'd gotten a bit frenzied and found himself righteously holding his fist in the air and shaking it like a gung ho political ranter. Looking about to see if anyone was looking, he found only the amused eyes of Kalinda on him.

After regaining his composure Konous coughed into his glove, trying to save all face he had, which as of now was very little. "So I fail to see how I could possibly have any 'ulterior motive' as you put it." The smirk was glued on, she was sticking to her guns and she wouldn't let go any time soon. "True, all those are good show case reasons Konous-Negative, but that's all they are: show cases, something to make your deed today look pretty and pristine," Her smirk ended however it did not give birth to a frown but instead her mouth lost all emotion as once more her intent of question transferred to her eyes in a most discerning glare. "You think none of us know? We've all noticed it Konous-Negative." Right in his face, giving him exactly what he didn't want, to look into the eyes, to see that everything that was his, how very little there was, was laid out for her to see at her own leisure, especially the things he didn't want her or anyone else to see. He'd turn away, get those eyes out of his sight! "I don't know what you could possibly mean Kalinda." 'Try to keep calm, act like you don't know what she means, pretend even in your heart you don't know' He thought to himself. But his heart was something even he couldn't control, for Hate and Love are not partial to the wants of their holders. "You can lie all you want, but everyone's seen it Konous-Negative, everyone! You've changed! It's not a large one, like your intended goals, there's a tread and a spring in your step that is not felt by none!"

She'd figured it out. He knew that much, perhaps she'd suspected for a long time and had finally come to the conclusion ages ago, perhaps not maybe she only realized what it was when Sirocco refused to tell her why he was here. Who knows? 'First things first, damage control.' "You say everyone's noticed the change in me...but you mention none save for yourself whom know what it is. How many others know?" No smirk, no intense glare, she'd used her weapons, and gotten him to tell. Now it was all a matter of time allowing them the moments to speak, but there was still a slightly...sad look on her face. Which was rubbish, sadness implied loss...and Villains lose nothing for they only care of themselves.

Or do they? "Ghost Widow knows, she absolutely does, Sirocco knows I'm sure other wise he wouldn't have had trouble telling me the reason for your coming here. I've managed to keep Captain Mako and Black Scorpion from realizing it, but they've noticed the change for sure. Lord Recluse, I can't say, he is the one I am unsure of though I would say no he does not since he hardly ever sees anyone. But you can rest assured everyone has seen the change Konous-Negative." He paused, taking it all in. 'Damn really that bad? I thought myself an artesian at guarding my own emotions. It would seem I'm not as good as I thought.' There was however something else lingering in his thoughts. The unanswered question embedded in Kalinda's statements. "I see. Now how many know who it is?" He asked looking down at the ground. Kalinda joined him in trying to find something of value in the cave formations, trying to make a consolation to him merely by joining him in this way. "Just me and Sirocco. How he found out I don't know, but I found out after that mission you came back from when last you went to Peregrine Island. You were shaken beyond belief. Since then I've seen the change and I concluded it had to be something that occurred there. Low and behold which Hero or rather Heroine was there stopping You that day but-" A hand raised up in the air halting her speech. "Don't say her name. Please." It was somber, it was struggled. It was weak, everything she hadn't known him to be. "Ghost Widow's opinion is that it's your life so unless it threatens Arachnos she shouldn't care," she stopped talking for a moment, letting that comment sink in. And then the smirk returned. "I bet though if she did know who it was she'd care." A dim and weakened nod from Konous-Negative. She turned her head back to him, so despondent. "Why are you doing this Konous-Negative? To see her again? Is that it? She won't change and you know it." "I know." "She's a Hero through and through." "I know." "Trying to change her would be like stopping the tide!" "I know." "Then why?!" She yelled slamming her fist into the wall beside her creating a small fissure in it with her psionic fist. "Why are you doing this to yourself?" He took his time answering, trying at best to ease her upset feelings and at the same time, find a reasonable justification for himself as to why he was doing this. "I'm doing this...not just to see her again...but maybe...to see if I should keep going." The silence after that was stark, and unbent. There aren't many things in life like a friend telling you they're tired of living.

"So you're going there to die?" She asked. "I told you...I'm just not sure, all I know is that I want to and at the very least," He responded placing his hands on the 'Seismic Resonator' with the same affection and reverence one does their child, their greatest life work, their coffin. "It should be something I do, doing what I do best, bringing pain and suffering to everything in the universe, just as I have always done." A hand on his shoulder, he turned to look to see her weakened smile, the smile of a friend. "Take care of yourself Konous-Negative." He chose his words carefully. "I never have before, but since that day I have found a need to do so, and yet at the same time a burning desire to let it all end. But I think for you Kalinda I shall." No hugs, no hand shake, no physical means of affection between these two. Merely a mutual understanding that both were there for each other. As she began to fade back, back into the faded shadows, not invisible merely unnoticed by the minds of most who saw her, Konous-Negative called out. "Kalinda, when I return, you and Sirocco will be the first to know." And with that promise she turned back to walking out of the tunnels and he returned to his work, to his ending, but maybe also his beginning.

Stealth, normally this kind of thing did not sit well with Meegelle, it didn't sit well with him because conflict strengthened you, made you stronger, by avoiding conflict you weakened yourself for when others would need you. However he had learned that there were times stealth was needed, he was not the strongest Hero, definitely not, and so had learned to utilize the ability to remain hidden in plain sight. So it benefited him greatly as he saw the roaming and terrible Arachnos troopers. You couldn't call them 'troops' really, because that word holds a humanoid connotation to it. The range of enemies among Arachnos goes for beyond the mere constraints of such a word.

Bane Spider Commando's and Night Widows were the most human looking of all of them. The former of which was bulky like most foot ball players due to the strength enhancing gyros emplaced underneath the black with the red pads on the shoulders and around the neck area and each was issued with a mace black as their armor covered in upward facing spikes. The Bane Spider was always the team leader of the group, issuing orders when no actual commander was present. The other side the coin, the Fortunatas were lithe and beautiful dwellers of the night trained in the art of assassination and their psionic abilities. Many male heroes had questioned what these femme fatales look like under the bloodstained metal with rivulets of black, hidden behind the spherical crystalline crimson helmets, most of those Heroes find the blade of the aforementioned women lodged in their stomach long before they are finished with their "fantisations". The next three were what truly eclipsed the imagination with a blade. 'How could Lord Recluse do this to people? How could people let themselves be changed like this?'

The Crab Spider Slicers, not so much bulkier than the Bane Spiders, the Crab spiders were merely larger and much so. Standing 8 ft tall at the head 10 ft easily if you counted the metal arachnid themed cannons on their backs, intended to fire only the most potent of searing plasma. But with their bulk the Slicer was also known for the fact that these same extremities could be used in melee and often were along with the punching blades attached to the "thumbless" side of the arm. The

Tarantula, most spider like of all, any level of pity can be spared on the Arachnos but these people. Most are often recruited from the 'Prisons' of the Rogue Isles and used in the tortuous process to produce these machinations of hardly flesh and mostly metal. It is said that in under ground lairs where they are made the screams of the people as they under go the change from normal person the tank like cyborg of green metal designed to kill any one sight who are aligned against Arachnos.

The Mu Striker, most decrepit in its own way there are no hands for tools, no legs for walking, no eyes for seeing in these people. They are mummified as soon as their powers develop in the red wrappings of Arachnos, and are taught to focus only on the magic possessed within, creating a hunched over red form floating in the air that leaves much red in its wake. Long ago it was discerned that the civilization known as Mu long contested as a myth actually existed and had done so for thousands of years in the Rouge Isles, then vanished! But it is known they did exist for the blood line still flows in the people whom live in the Rouge Isles today, those who show the latent power of this ancient species are given the choice of dying or searching for the long lost secret of as to what happened to the ancient culture.

Normal situations of Arachnos troopers were merely their based ground troops, hardly more than highly equipped organized crime groups. The fact that such elite units were here present in this cave gave way not only to the inkling of thought that this was a serious situation but the absolute certainty of it. 'I've got to be silent in my movements, I may be invisible but not undetectable, if they hear me they'll-' At that thought he yelped out like a kicked puppy as an icy chill ran down his back. Not the chill of frozen cold, but of someone touching him on a deeper level than flesh and bone. All too late he realized his error, for in giving way to sudden bursts of instinct to call out for help he had alerted the Arachnos present to his location. This was confirmed as the heads of the Mu Striker, Tarantula, Fortunata, and Crab Spider all turned to him and charged with a silently understood order of 'Kill.' from the Bane Spider Commando.

The Tarantula, Fortunata and Mu Striker were no melee combatants, hanging back firing off psionic blasts, web grenade shots, and torrents of crimson ether energy respectively at Meegelle who dodged their strikes while he used his sword to block the slices and stabs of the Crab Spider. Meegelle showed his swordsman ship well meeting every one of the Crab Spiders cuts, however as time went on his weariness showed and the Arachnos troops could see it in his eyes and sweat as he tried with all his might to match the power armor who's strength far exceeded his own. 'I can't do this much longer, I've got to change tactics. Gotta take out the leader!' Taking a moment to stand still Meegelle gave himself as open sacrifice to the short swords of the Crab Spider and watched is it charged head long toward him both blades raised forward. Ducking at the last moment he possibly could to insure victory the side and let the Crab Spiders blades get stuck in the rock behind him. Using the chance he had when he had it he stuck his sword into the power cell installed in the back of the Crab Spider and watched it shut down. As the energy levels lowered he could hear the Crab Spider's user calling out for someone to get him out of his suit.

No moment to lose, the hail fire of the ranged enemies not giving him an inch to rest, he sprinted and leapt clear over their heads to the Bane Spider behind them. Out it drew the signifying weapon of their unit, a mace not merely covered in spikes but also with two wickedly upward curved blades like a pair of devils horns. Their weapons met and despite his weariness from the Crab Spider, he found the Bane Spider much easier to deal with. While the mace had much greater length than the short swords of the Crab Spider he found it much easier to parry as the weapon was cumbersome and he exploited that by feinting to the right side with a slice and quickly turning around to come back repeatedly bashing at the opened defense of the unit leader. A few concussions to the side and at last he fell to the ground, not dead but definitely knocked out, the armor and enhancements in his suit definitely seemed to count for something.

The Mu striker was next. It's attacks were the most damaging and he would also be the easiest to take down. Running past the shots, and rolling to the side of the lightning blasts of Mu energy he cut upwards to the right of the Mu, horrified at seeing the red lummox turn to the side and letting the blade smack him in the skull and into the psionic blast of the Fortunata.

Hero etiquette required he not kill anyone but damn it it was frustrating. These were obvious criminals who'd killed people hundreds of times and yet he could not kill them once in return. Not even as the Tarantula hailed bullets at him that could end him in a moment could he once destroy this person. Because they could be victims. And even as he cut each leg of the Tarantula, running by it to make sure it's front mounted guns couldn't hit him he had to repeat that mantra over and over again. 'They could be victims, they could be victims they could be victims.' But he had no answer when in response his same voice said 'But they've made many victims themselves.' Cutting off that train of thought and the last leg of the Tarantula Meegelle sped over to the next trooper.

Never pausing, he couldn't or else he'd be dead, he moved to the next target, the Fortunata. It would not merely be a test of blade for she was equipped with daggers, as most of them were, because while he dodged and blocked to attempts to gut him she was also widdling away his will to continue. Over head blocking one dagger with his sword and catching the Fortunata's arm in the other arm a seductive voice whispered in his head. "_You should give up, what would it matter if you died? You're hardly much of a hero anyway, you have no powers, give in, let it go, your deeds today don't matter and they never have, wouldn't it be easier then just to give up?" _Shaking cold, as the dagger in her hand went steadily closer to his head, strength although he had his will began to falter. 'It never has mattered has it?' He thought to himself, succumbing to her disgustingly pretty words. 'I'm nothing, I always have been always will be, even after I die.' "_That's right, there's never been anything for you in life so why not death?'_ A Natural hero never helps nearly the same number of people that the rest do.' '_You will never be remembered, nor loved for the things you've done, why not end it now? Who have you helped in all your time?' _He had been set, set on giving in, set on giving up, set on giving everything he had to them. Until the Fortunata said those words.

The Fortunata was confused, she was apt at breaking peoples spirits, was quite good at it in fact and had broken many Hero's spirits, but something was wrong. This Hero had been on the brink, the breaking point. But not any more, his eyes showed instead of sorrow and depression she had so often witnessed merely void. Like he'd unfocused on everything around him suddenly in a coma mid battle. This was not normal by any means.

But she didn't really have time to continue pondering, or to give her allies the go ahead to take the shots when she found hands wrapped around her neck and chocking the air and life of her body out. Raised up into the air unable to move and unhelped by her allies since she hadn't given them the signal to get ready. She gazed down, into his face trying to get back into his mind but all that she could see or enter were his eyes. No sadness, no void, instead cold cold fury, not mere anger but hate stared back into her an abyss of her own making.

Meegelle could barely hold it in, it was all a blur but he could hear it. In the back of his head. He could see it super imposed with the image of the cave they showed. Children, men, women, old, young, humans, Heroes all people he'd helped, who's lives he'd protected in his time as a defender of Paragon City. All of them resurfacing before him, their smiles, they're happy days after their rescue and even the saddest moments they'd have afterwards. All of it laid bare before him. 'If I give up, I let that all go to waste, I can never look at them again and call myself a good person!' Seething with purpose and intent showed in his eyes Meegelle let out a growl to the Fortunata. "Don't tell me all my works been in vain!" Perhaps out of lack of air, perhaps out of energy depletion from her psionic attacks, or maybe the most prominent, out of fear Fortunata fainted in his hands, going slack as her body shut down. Looking on her with disdain Meegelle couldn't help but wish he could toss her to the side regardless of injuries she'd sustain. But the self control he'd held over himself for many months, and had almost broken today regenerated itself, and allowed him to put her down without hurting her more.

'Statesmen wouldn't approve of such acts. I have to follow the moral code he's set for all Heroes.' Nodding at the moral logic of the deed he continued on through the cave reactivating his stealth field again;this time he found that there were no sudden surprising feelings attacking him from behind. Which was good, as he moved through the twisting turning halls he found the Arachnos troopers he fought to not be the only ones. Many other contingent groups were scattered throughout the cave. There was no time for these ones though, Unai had said that the seismic epicenter had been growing in strength, and even now was doing so, he couldn't waste time with petty combat with Arachnos' minions. Which was he suspected their intended purpose for being here in the first place. No matter, the device Unai had given him had allowed him to circumvent that obstacle. Following the location of the Villain by the growing strength of the vibrations Meegelle mentally prepared himself for the fight ahead. This was something he had never gotten over, something he'd always had trouble with. In the case of the fight to save Paragon City there is a mantra that is often recited. 'Never take the life of a Villain, for all in the world have the right to live, we must show them the path to righteousness." He thought at first but then finished with his words. He nodded. 'Never again.'

Nothing could have prepared him for what he would see in there.

Many Heroes both craved and dreaded this moment that he was now experiencing, foolishly boasting how they would save the world and destroy _him_ in the process. Strange, Meegelle's life was not flashing before his eyes, he was seeing no light at the end of the tunnel or Old Grim standing next to him tapping his foot impatiently. These were all rumored myths surrounding the Villain before him. His back was turned, intent on the machine before him working on the machine, fiddling with the circuitry, totally cut off from the world around him. Konous-Negative, he didn't feel fear or terror merely shock, he simply could not comprehend what was going on, he was right across the room and had yet to notice his entrance into his lair.

Meegelle crept up slowly, cautiously, quietly, in spite of the vibrations, which here were quite strong, but not enough to fully mask out sounds like footsteps, it just made it slightly easier for him. He had taken every form of combat that he knew existed, particularly he had learn how to stealthily strike from behind. This required the utmost concentration, not on his swing, that would be the easy part, the movement. Every step, every tap tap sent off their own warning signals. Step first on the ball of your foot, then place the heel down, Stalking it was called was difficult to master because it went against the common movements you had learned in your life.

Eventually Meegelle was close enough to Konous-Negative, his blade raised high over head, the flat side his common knock out tool, which would arc in the swing and bring him down from a blow to the head. That would end his reign of terror over Paragon and the world. Meegelle swung!

Meegelle missed. But not so much that he didn't hit anything much as he didn't hit what he intended to. Blade to blade, Meegelle couldn't help but revel at the stark contrast between his white straight claymore blade and the single edged curved black scimitar held with one hand while Konous-Negative continued to work on the machine. "Hm, I figured the minions would be enough to stop anyone, I haven't felt any changes in Negative energy in this cave, that means you haven't killed any them. I must thank you, it really is hard to find Evil henchmen these days." Konous-Negative said with a voice quite unexpected. It was not the sound of chaos, or made of the voices of whom he'd killed. It was in fact quite average.

Meegelle did not have long to ponder this of course as he quickly found that the Villain he'd tried to defeat seemingly disappeared! Where had he gone?! He didn't know, it was like he'd ceased to exist, from reality and from all things natural. That is until he appeared to Meegelle left and tried to cut him down, only to be met by the Heroes' quick reflexes bringing his sword to bear. Clang! "Hm, good reaction time, very good indeed, your a practiced swordsmen it seems. But, if you are, I can not detect any powers or auras from you making you a Natural Hero I believe. You must have amazing instincts of combat to have gotten this far." Gone again! Meegelle cast his head about, he was no where to be found! He knew, everyone knew Konous-Negative was powerful but no one knew precisely what his powers were, accounts had varied many times never giving a direct link to each other. Evidently it included super speed. But perhaps not. That which was prominently evident was not always so. What seems to be super strength as a hero throws a car by the hand could be telekinesis bolstering the lift and distance. It was a matter therefore of finding the key differences in technique. 'Alright,' he thought, trying to draw up any dregs of knowledge he could. 'He's playing with me and that could be to my advantage, I can't go for the device...no he'd cut me down too quickly, I've got to discern where he is, while he gives me time. Isn't super speed.' He hypothesized, taking in the room around him. 'No, if it was there would be major distortions from the echoes in the cave as he moved around and spoke. There's echo, yeah but not as bad as it should be.' Covering the cave slowly, pressing his feet carefully trying to listen for footsteps while minimizing his own, scouring for any sign of the Villain. 'So it's not super speed, so he's gotta be stealthed somehow. But how find him.'

Casting about once more Meegelle's irritation grew. It did not help as the voice of the Villain came back. "Yawn, tick tock my lad, tick tock, Time waits for none, and I have appointments to keep. If you can't find me soon I'll have to end this little scuffle of ours." Almost to a boiling point, and he nearly began running around the room and randomly slicing at the air like a chicken with its head cut off. 'No, that's what he wants, me to lose my cool. Very well, if my eyes don't work,' taking one last glance. 'I won't use them.'

And like that he shut his eyes to the world around him, and branched out his other senses. The vibrations of the device which he'd come to destroy now built to a steady rhythm was increasing in strength. The trickle trickle of the cave water, perhaps brought in by osmosis with the ocean outside. His dry and parched mouth as the adrenaline prerogatives in his body cut off unnecessary systems. The arid stench of his own sweat, untouched by cool winds gentle caress and a useless endeavor to cool his own body down. But wait. There was something else. Something beyond the others. Beyond his other five sense. An illusive thing, in front of him, all around him. He could taste it. He could smell it He could hear it. He could feel it. Yes! He could see it, Meegelle opened his eyes!

There it was, in front of him, all around him. A strand, not of rope, or hair, or steel cutting wire, but simply a strand, writhing in the air, twisting, convulsing. Black, that was the feature that drew him in even more so. It was black, like the first and ultimate fear that mankind has, darkness which seeks to envelope him in every essence of who he is and make him something else. And he realized as he looked around, there were more, many many more, hundreds, all moving about wildly in the cave, randomly, with no coordination save for one thing. A common end source that led 2 ft in front of him...handing upside down from the ceiling. 'There!' And with the sudden knowledge of his enemies location Meegelle swung as hard as he could, bringing the blade down with tremendous force.

Only to be stopped by the scimitar of his foe, who now stood, or hung as it were, revealed before him, above him. "Very good lad, I was beginning to lose faith in you. But it seems you can sense me after all." Said the smug swashbuckling monster. And with that jumping from the ceiling and rolling back switching so easily from one to the other it was extremely disorienting to look at to those without an immunity to vertigo. Meegelle could help but stare, as he got a better look at the strands and their connection to him. It was disgusting. They were going into him, worming their way spasming into his body and becoming one with him, he was connected to every one of them and they were pumping themselves into him like they were his addiction. "What are you, by the might of Lord Statesman what are you?!" A chuckle simple at first then with strength it grew till it was full blown laughter. "I my boy," He paused clearly amused. "Am the end point of all these strands," Grabbing one in between his hand stretching it out. "I am me, I am nothing more, nothing less. I am Konous-Negative," Setting his sword forward preparing to prepare to return to combat. "That's who I am, and that's all that I am." Rushing forward, this time in truth absolutely exhibiting super speed tendencies he brought repetitive cuts downward, then at last cutting horizontally and locking blades with Meegelle on his left side. "It is never the What that matters, genetic structure, DNA, or how we are born matters little in the culmination of who we are." Breaking back from the sword lock to blast Meegelle with a charged beam of Negative Energy which sent him flying back into the cave wall dropping his sword in the middle of the room.

No longer could Meegelle, see his vision was shrouded by darkness and vile images pouring into his brain one right after another. A rapist cackling and laughing as he cut open the still living body of his victim while he raped her one more time feeding on her life essence as she died. Of a lord looking over his land watching the people in the streets below starving and crying for death to release them from the agony as disease swept the land, and he quietly smiled. And at last the two faces of the monsters merged together each in their own way into a face covered in a cowl, goggles and a bandanna. The face of Konous-Negative, his sword tipped just under my chin. "And who were are my boy, are two warriors of opposing mindsets. You are a Hero, I am a Villain, it is our fate to destroy each other," Meegelle looked to his sword, in the middle of the room, he could reach it. Konous-Negative raised the blade in the air, almost leaving Meegelle total access to his escape, like he wanted for him to reach the sword. "And therefore, I must destroy you boy, for though you have no powers, and I am powerful, what we have matters little, in comparison of what we are willing to do."

He didn't need to be told twice! He rolled to the side as the blade came slowly down cutting off bits and pieces of the rock easily despite it's low velocity. Diving for his sword, Meegelle rolled backward on the ground righting himself right next to the Seismic Resonator. Raised in front, Meegelle had his claymore ready prepared for any attack that the Villain might bring. All but one. With sudden fluidness the images came back, but in greater numbers, the darkness surrounded him all encompassing him as more acts of depravity and glee at the suffering of others intensified. He felt every blow, every scream, every maleficent act, not in his body, nor in his body or mind but in his soul which seemed to quake in pain as the images wrought fractures within him. Reopening his eyes to the world did nothing as the images continued to flood into him, at the beck and the call of Konous-Negative standing in front of him his fist raised in the air clenched with the same darkness surrounding it.

Meegelle screamed and howled. It was killing him! It was killing him! He would die and then...then he would die, but in the process others would be hurt. From one death, many. His sight fell on his sword, and then on the Seismic Resonator still building up to and nearing the completion of its full power. 'What is a Heroes value if he is unwilling to go the extra length to save others? Can he be called a Hero?' Meegelle's face broke out into a twisted grin at that moment. Whether out of mocking victory to the Villain, actual strain from his spirit being broken or perhaps from the thought that his life was coming to an end. It didn't matter, Meegelle brought the sword down into the Seismic Resonator all the same.

At first he thought nothing had changed, the vibrations continued to come out, but when the vibrations from the machine began to crack the rocks around them Meegelle knew he'd succeeded. Calmly looking about, imminently aware that the rocks around them were beginning to crack Konous-Negative spoke. "Oh bother. You managed to to short circuit the machine, it's stuck on the Resonance frequency of the cave rocks. It's too far a run to get out of here," Looking back at the boy. "We're going to die here." The cracks got bigger, splitting apart like like a gaping maw to swallow them up. "I don't care." Meegelle uttered, sweat still pouring down his face. "You'd commit suicide to make sure that others wouldn't get hurt." Still Meegelle's aching breaths came out. "If it meant taking you or another villain down, any time bud." From the ceiling they started falling, stalactites spearing into the ground or cracking upon contact. "Hm, I find that some how ironic." Meegelle glared at him leaving no hate unmasked. "What's that supposed to mean?" A brief shake of the head. "You wouldn't understand."

And with that the ground below them opened up swallowing them to its stomach below, as the rocks from above came down and buried them there, alone.

(Seperation)

Some time passed, I don't want to think about anything, not even the precious sand slipping down the funnel of my life, so suddenly accelerated due to circumstances beyond my control, and yet so very much a consequence of my own actions, and yet consequences I would not take back given the opportunity. "Tell me boy...how did you come To Be?" He's lying down looking up at the hemisphere above us, at what I don't know, perhaps making formations in his head with the lines between the rocks. "Why should I tell you?" I retort question for question, no more irritating thing to do in a conversation, or so I've been told. "Humor me for a moment, here I am, under rock and rubble, going to die indefinite hours from now, all my pernicious plans perished , all my dastardly designs destroyed, and all my malicious machinations mutilated. The least I ask is that I get to know the last person whom I'll ever meet, not only because they're the last, but because they are the cause of my death. You are the reason I lie here in this rubble, I want to better understand how it is I came to an end. Part of that could be achieved if I knew how you came To Be."

"Well my parents had sex and I was born...not much else to it." He shakes his head, getting up to walk about the room, pacing about, once more much a professor with his explanations. "To Be...it is not something so simple as existing my dear boy or merely being born, To Be, is the innate reason why we exist. It is the thing which drives us, motivates us, pulls us apart from the rabble of fleshy machines clouding cities and makes us individuals," He paused a moment, his back turned to me, his face wide in the air. "However," He continues suddenly turning around and advancing towards me. "there are many kinds of To Be's, for instance, one could decide that his reason To Be is merely to exist, now while this sounds like a cop out to be lazy and does not put him above the rest of the people around him it in fact does because he decides for himself that that is his purpose. Most of the other people we know around us merely exists without deciding on doing that. So I ask again...how did you come To Be?" He ends, his face inches from my own.

You're probably thinking 'Don't tell him! He's a monster! He deserves no answer!' However, allow me to state something, all my life as a hero, I've never told my Origin Story, many other heroes have grand tales of self experimentation to gain their powers, by some biological fluke, mutation of some sort within the genes, mystical energies granting them stellar magical prowess, or super advanced technological gadgets and machinery, how they inherited either through fortune, through accident...mine was never one of particular interest to any(or rather they were too afraid to ask me), despite my career as one, I've never told it to anyone. Why? Because for one, I never gained any powers from it, merely my sword which though I am highly skilled with, has never been any thing to impress anyone. And two? I'm going to die soon, the least I can get out of it is that I at last had a chance to tell someone WHO I am.

"Fine."

Briiiiiiiiing I hate alarms clocks, I always have, I always will, especially the ones like my old one, the old fashioned type rings that too much and too loud. 7:00 same standard time as usual, most people would call me crazy for getting up that early for school, but honestly I'd rather get it done as soon as I can. I got dressed, as usual ate breakfast got out. Nothing unusual at all. My life was not what I'd call hard, I had two parents like most people, I'd been going to college and actually had been really good at that as I recall, professors praised me often, much to my embarrassment. I tried, in my mind at least, to be a good person. Like most people I considered being a good person not doing bad deeds, and helping others, I never went out of my way to initiate contact with others so, wasn't really anyone to help. But life is an interesting thing, it has habits of making you live up to the standards that you set in your head...or breaking them entirely and revealing you for what you are in your very own eyes. My case was something of an in between.

I'd lived in the highly upscale Venice-esque section of Founders Falls for my entire life, beautiful cobbled streets, streams lining back and forth with architecture to die for, I visit occasionally, my work takes me far and wide across Paragon City, don't often have time for design gazing anymore. I digress, like most area's in Paragon, Founders was frequently involved in battles between heroes and villains, in fact you could say that the very city I lived in was constantly at war with itself. On one side of the road you might perchance to see the 5th column ranting out to people to join their cause of Antisemitism and world domination; The Freakshow, frankenstein mesh of flesh and scrapyard metal constantly in search of a new high for their fast pace life; Or maybe even the Carnival of Shadows, soulless Harlequin fem dominatrix girls bent on A). Robbing people blind. B). Taking any guys they find and using them as their slaves. However, as more often than not a hero would come in and beat them down, so no one was ever really worried. Interesting, looking back on it, we'd fooled ourselves into thinking that because we had heroes we had nothing to worry about, but naturally if this were the case, I wouldn't be telling this story.

After getting to FFU(Some times jokingly referred to as F2U) I sat down in my class, took my seat mid way and sat next to Kieff(Key-ff). "Hey Michelle, how goes it?" A swift neck tackle upon my friend showed my faked dislike for his(and everyone else's!) nickname for me. My name is Meegelle, the 'g' is pronounced like a 'z', why don't know, more importantly I don't know WHY my parents gave it to me. Sick sadistic satisfaction over my embarrassment at the name. Though highly unorthodox I wouldn't put it past them. Because I think I'd do the same thing to my kids. "Not much, you get that last bit in the chapter?"

I took a seat beside him and rested my head on my hand. "You mean on Michelangelo?" Kieff chuckled a little leaned back, stretching out. "Yeah that one." Stretching out myself in a cat like manner I responded. "How the hell can he do that? Chisel out a real good piece of stone in the shape of a man, put breasts on it and expect people to think it's a girl? More over how come no one pointed that out?"

Kieff just shrugged his shoulders a bit. "Hey when you paint the fucking Sistine Chapel lets see any one try to contradict YOUR works of art. I mean anyone who did probably got beat down by all his fans." Pausing to roll that thought around my head, I had to admit, there was a lot of validity in that. "Yeah I could definitely see that, especially with how some people are when it comes to their idols, if Michelangelo had any really devoted fans I wouldn't put it past them to beat down some 'Infidels'." Laughter, choruses of it, emanated from us, at least until the Professor started speaking, at which point most people shut up.

"All right you little rapscallions," Professor Darnaby began. "Pay attention, got good stuff planned today, hand your papers your Teacher Assistants," With that, like a synchronized swim team, Darnaby's 15 hawks of efficiency swooped down the rows, picking up paper after paper, and not picking up paper when none was given. Now you may be asking 'Corresponding Row?' It was, and still is, a very crowded school, T.A. number varies depending upon how popular the Professor is the more T.A.'s will sign up for them, but it also reduces the price of tuition considerably, in exchange for more work, so if you enjoy the subject it can be fun, if you don't...enjoy flipping burgers. A smooth finger and a graceful touch, my...our T.A.,Vanessa, picked up my paper. "Hello Meegelle," Gracing me with a dulcimer smile. She was probably the only one who pronounced it right.

"Open the Texts C-2," Continued Mr. Darnaby. "to page 556, here you will see..." And so it would go, Arty History studies of paintings that honestly...I didn't care about particularly and information I probably wouldn't use...but somehow I found a satisfaction from learning this useless information, like someone had directly messed with the mechanics of my brain to like things I never used. For instance, my apartment is cluttered with Junk, junk that I've collected over the years, few that I've actually ever used, but keep around because it feels _right_ to hold onto them, like my memories may very well disappear in the blink of any eye.

Class ended, as it usually did, but this is probably the exact reason why my life changed. After it was all over that same dulcimer seemed to appear on my shoulder as I was exiting. "Meegelle, if wouldn't mind, I've got some papers to finish grading for Mr. Darnaby, I mean, you wouldn't mind waiting a little after school for me?" I realized then, despite the hawk like efficiency she had in work...she wasn't used to talking to people, or she wasn't used to asking people what they wanted to do for her, and instead was used to people asking her do stuff for them. Black hair and Hispanic in origin(I think...however I'm by no means raceologistDear God is there such a thing?) she walked with a grace you didn't find in most girls this day and age, keeping her back perfectly straight, a determined stride behind conservative, though subtly attractive clothing.  
Paragon was a different city, cities in general cause you to grow up fast if you live in them...but Paragon even more so. The constant war, though few would admit it was a war, between heroes and villains caused people to live every moment like it was their last, you never know when you might find your loved ones dead in your own apartment despite locking the door. You never know that after all the hard work you've put into life, that it might be your last. You never know, something might happen to you that changes your life forever. So as she walked back into the room, I couldn't help but think of Vanessa as an Enigma, a very odd quirk in life, she had the traits of person who had grown up without the innate tension here in Paragon.

Perhaps that was what made her worth waiting for?

A few hours later and all my classes were over, and I found myself once more in front of Mr. Darnaby's classroom door sitting on bench, making idle with drawings I imagined from plaster on the wall. At last when forever seemed to take to long to wait she strolled out of the classroom saying good bye to the rest of the T.A.'s who upon seeing me grinned knowingly and moved their separate ways.

"Did you wait long?" Sincerity mired her voice, damn it, I couldn't find any reason to be a little bit grumpy at her.

"Na, not at all." I lied blatantly much to the disapproval of my inner frustration which ebbed away like a current.

Out the door, past the campus, down the street, and into the evening day we moved, walking along planted trees keeping our silence, I honestly had no clue what to say. So she started for me.

"So, uh were you born here in Paragon Meegelle?" She broke my inner inquiry. I looked up "Oh, yeah all my life, not Founders, my parents grew up in Atlas Park, they wanted the best education for me so they sent me here. I really love it here, plenty of good restaurants and heck schools really close by. What about you, were you born here?"

She shook her head, keeping her books close to her chest. "No, I was born in Michigan, god I miss it, cold but somewhat constant temperatures, not like here, here when it gets hot it burns the rubber off the tires and when it snows it lays traffic down for hours!" I nodded.

"Oh yeah it can get pretty bad, but snow is awesome, I always wish for snow, and every year I always get my wish." She turned about facing me forward. "Ah ha! So you're to blame for it all! You villain!." We had a good laugh over that then lulled into quite enjoyment of silence whilst looking more material to talk about.

"...How did you do on the test last week?"

"You mean the one on the sculptures? I got a 93, so freaking lucky I remembered at the last second what happened to the Pieta." She suddenly looked at me drawn interest. "OH! You mean that guy...oh what was his name?!"

"Laszlo Toth?" I offered. She leaped up briefly in a fit of joy hair tossing about like silk. "That's him! Oh my god, I can't believe he managed to get away with what he did? I mean what were the security guards thinking?"

I started getting caught up in her enthusiasm, a childish energy erupting from within me. "It was probably 'Hm...guy with a sledge hammer obviously not with any construction crew walking into a museum right at a priceless piece of art...nope nothing odd here.'"

Bemusedly she shook her head. "He was probably looking at some porn magazine or something, too busy to care what might happen because some nut job decides to add his opinion to art pieces." I blushed a little, I didn't quite expect her to be so brash for girl out of the country. Turning to the side her eyes lit up and she quickly trotted far past me. "Meegelle come here!" And then she did exactly what she shouldn't have done. She ran into Founders Falls park, at night.

"Whoa, Vanessa don't go in there!" Truth be told the park didn't look that dangerous. I mean come on who'd be afraid of tree's, a lake, some rocky hills and crickets chirp chirping to a light show created by the fire flies? On she went, deeper, deeper, and deeper into the sylvan terrain, turning around occasionally to yell out "This way!" or "Come on!" At last she stopped near a brook, taking a rest up against a tree, turning her head about to speak. "Hugh..Not bad, you're a pretty good runner ...huff...to have kept pace with me all this time. Have you ever considered playing for the track team?" I didn't even answer her question I grabbed her arm and started pulling her back out. "Come on we have to get out of here.!"

She pulled back with a sharp tug. "Why do you want to leave so bad. I wanted to show you my secret place." She waved about her indicating to the environment. "No one knows this place but me Meegelle, there's nothing to fear in here. Why are you so set on leaving? Do you not want to be with me?" My hand hit my face in frustration. Obviously she'd want an explanation, she wasn't some bimbo who was going to go with whatever the guy said so long as something good was in store for her, she'd want to know why they were doing something, not just sit there and accept it. "It's not that at all Vanessa," I paused. "Look I think you're great and all, I do like you, but this place isn't safe at night, it doesn't matter where you are, villains will find us!" She shook her head like I was a child. "That's ludicrous Meegelle, why would villains be waiting all the way out here for people like us? More importantly if some villains do find us a hero will save us. What's the worst that could happen?"

Never suspect the Hunter is gone. Never suspect your free its terrible gaze. Never suspect that for moment your safe. When you think you're the strongest, when you think you can finally let your guard down, that's when it happens.

It strikes.

From trees, from bushes, from the brook itself came monsters, beasts, horrifying things, demons who existed in no story, no biblical tale and only in the most insane of minds could concoct. Strategic, planned, unison attacks struck me down to the ground with incredible force, knocking me and my hopes to the ground. As consciousness left me, I could hear them do the same to Vanessa, her body landing beside mine, I could only think what a mistake it had been to come here.

Eruptions, explosions, and constant thrumming roused me from my sleep. I found my injuries to be minor, a bruise on the back of my neck was really the only scar I had to show for the ambush from before. But what held my immediate attention was the occupant with me in the cell, Vanessa! Rushing over I checked for a pulse. She was alive, good, and appeared unhurt thankfully. Upon realizing she wouldn't regain consciousness for a while I took in my surroundings. But for right now I too I was in a cell, though not mad of metal, green crystal it seems was my prison encasing me fully, save for the entrance, which appeared to be where the thrumming was coming from and was crafted from ethereal energies woven thin as thread but sturdy as any metallic alloy. I found pressing up against the green substance was met with firm resistance. The explosions couldn't be determined at the time, there just wasn't enough vantage from the entrance to see. No way to get out, no way to see out, this was a prison alright. I had but one thing to comfort me, and it didn't help much, I knew who had captured me. I was the captive of one of the most notorious groups to 'grace' with their presence Paragon City, the Circle of Thorns.

Few people didn't know of them, magic, shamanism, sorcery, demon summoning, the whole shebang. They were notorious for forcing people to join them in their quest for...well who knew, the Thorns agenda to this day remained a mystery to the public at large, no one was actually ever able to piece together just what they were after from all their attacks. Power yes, of course, most villains are after that, but why? Why they go about kidnapping people that they didn't issue demands for? They didn't want to live richly, the Thorns were after something else, something obscure that no one, unless you searched deep enough or became one, would know.

Time, in his,smug and crotchety, old man manner, did not give me enough time to contemplate the inner working minds of the Thorns, for right then the field was lowered. However, there would be no escape right now, behind it stood 3 figures. One of them was one of the creatures that ambushed us. This walking mound of flesh was constantly hunched beneath it's highly disproportionate bulk which was more like a gnarled mound of flesh, bent, twisted, rough. Sans hands this 4 ft tall thing had no arms to speak of so when it picked up things it likely did it with its mouth, a tri-jaw opening from top, lower right and left segments. I'd later learn the creature was called a Berserker, not very intelligent, but very strong despite it's size.

The next one was a bit more humanoid. It was the staple of the Thorns front line offensive groups, most people knew them, The Behemoths. Right out of the Bible this 7 ft tall hooved muscled bull horned beast was known to ignite on fire and manipulate it to suit their needs, whether from cauterizing their own wounds, or torching someone to the ground

The last one was even more familiar, where there are demons, there are those who summon them. The final of the three was a Circle of Thorns cultist. Black robes lined with an expensive crystalline red material, a black sword single edged one handed at his belt, a lieutenant of some sort I was sure. But he had one thing in common with all Thorns, his cowl hid his face in "umbral" presence the only thing that could possibly remark a human behind those depths, was a pair of green, gaseous , glowing eyes, staring at me with cold, imperceptible, calculating intent. He said nothing merely pointed to me and Vanessa and watched as the Behemoth picked her up and the Berserker bit me and nudged me forward. I got the idea, they wanted me to follow them, and follow I did.

I finally got a view of the lair of our captors held us hostage, echoes would find much reproduction here, the cavernous walls of this lair would help greatly to reproduce sound...and to give signs to combat within the complex. Past Circle mages casting spells sending off volts of electricity and issuing "effluvient" smoke preceded by "rumbleous" explosions(now I knew where they were coming from.), over log bridges sinking under our weight, through ancient structures too old to have existed in the Roman age, we at last ended up at the summit of the jutting pillar of rock surrounded an abyss. There seemed to be no bottom, as a rock was kicked by the Behemoth which sank and sank, never to reach us with its "audiular" reflection. It turned about to face me, grinning with sharpened sword tusks from his mouth. I got the picture, if I tried to run, they could easily send me down, where no one would find me.

The cultist whapped the beast on the back of the head with an authoritative force behind it. The Behemoth looked at the cultist and nodded, it understood perfectly they were here to get a job done, not loll about with direction or goal. We kept walking and onto the pillar we moved, across one last bridge and on its flat peak, which radiated outward like a dais. What I noticed quickly was the set of sacrificial circles on the pillar, no blood, at least from what I could tell marred the circles. Around them were more members of the Cult 4 in all, including the last one, a pale faced man who actually showed his face, which was completely blank, also in robes but of a much higher degree than the others. Green, bright green, in color with the same pikes my Bailiff had on his shoulders. But you couldn't miss his eyes, just the like the rest, but issuing forth much more green plasma than the rest.

"Begin the ritual!" He ordered. 2 of the Cultists and my Bailiff and Berserker jailers took to me

whilst the other two held me down. My Bailiff stood in front of me and began praying and muttering in an inane language. I looked to the side and saw them doing the same to Vanessa, what were they going to do to us?

It didn't take long for something odd to begin happening, from within me came the same gaseous energy which came from the cultists eyes. My body and Vanessa's took a levitation to the air and defied gravity with haughty smirks. From the robes of the Bailiff came a twisted gnarled stick, tipped red, on ends of spikes surrounding it. With a mighty thrust, he stuck the stick in my chest. And within I felt something, PAIN! Created not by a thing or being but a presence invading my mind, invading my body, invading the very core of my soul, a rape of all things that were me. I didn't pay attention any more to the world around me, all I could focus on was this presence from within speaking to me. "Give in! Let me in! You're mine! LET ME IN!" The energy of the Thorns, in my mind it had taken humanoid form, its hands around my neck, squeezing my will down to the last dredges. It was too much to bear, screams without sound flew from my mouth with no way of conveying the feeling that was overtaking me. I would have given in. Would have.

Afar, I woke from my nightmare, I heard a scream not silent like my own but one of utter resignation to the pain being dealt to it. A soul was breaking, someone was about to give in. Who? I realized too late. "VANESSA!" And with that I turned the tables on the green entity, strangling itself now with maddened blood lust in my eyes. All too quickly it gave in, like a novice before a master the entity knew its match. Perhaps all it had taken to defeat it was the will which it had so vehemently sought to break. But regardless, my eyes opened to the world again, I ripped the stick out of my chest heedless to the lack of pain and at the time didn't think to care. I turned to my Bailiff, shock evident so clearly on his hidden visage which I took liberty on to take his sword from his own belt and slew him across the chest, much to his surprise as black ichor leaked from his chest and he fell to the ground, the energy of his eyes dimming like a sun gone nova long long ago. The other two and the Berserker wasted no time preparing to fight me. The acolytes drew their daggers, whilst the Berserker readied to pounce, but too long they took as the Bailiff's, no MY, blade sunk into the one on the left behind me, and fast enough to remove from the aforementioned ones chest to slice vertically on the face of the other, and at last bring it straight down into the head of the Berserker, squealing on the ground like a pig as its blood filled its mouth and throat. When it was done my face was covered in their fluids, sticking so closely to my skin, covering my face in shadow, much like their hoods.

Wasting no time I ran towards the second group, charging upon the Behemoth with rage unbarred. But rage makes you stupid, a Behemoth is a veteran warrior and knew I was coming, it turned around in time to catch the sword between the palms of its hands. "Continue the Ritual master! I'll deal with the boy!" It called out, allowing the master and the last Thorn acolyte to finish their work on Vanessa. I was no muscle man at the time, I'm still not, I gear towards a lean body type, but despite this I pressed as hard as I could, the Behemoth however was not limited by that with its Greek god muscles and easily began to over power me and started attempting to twist the blade aside, attempting to wrench it from my grasp. But I held my own, forcing the Behemoth to exercise its powers. Heat, it flooded my hands as the metal of the Thorns conducted the energy transfer from the Behemoths now highly ignited fists. Burns, scaring, I could feel it, the skin of my hands was going to be burned off. Face to face the Behemoth smiled, it knew the end was near. For him, not for me. Changing thrust direction I pulled the blade backwards and now with its super heat I struck on the beasts skull, sticking the sword in its head and holding it there to watch as it thrashed about as its brain was cooked from within. Removing the blade as fast as possible I rand aside the beast as it fell to the ground, just in time to cut down the last acolyte. Just in time to watch the Ritual end, and Vanessa's eyes now emitted the same energy the Thorns did.

Her levitation ceased, down once more she came, gracefully, but the smile on her face, it was not hers, it was not the smile of benevolence, of sincere caring and kindness, no, it was a smile you saw on the corrupt politician as he takes a bribe which will entail the pain and suffering of hundreds and without care for their well being, only for the money in his pocket. It was the smile of the attorney who represents a criminal who's suing a poor family on the basis of injuries he sustained whilst robbing their house. It was the smile of the of the police officer who sells out his partner to keep his shares of the drug ring going. It was the smile on the Devouring Earth, on the Freakshow, on the Carnival of Shadows, on the 5th column, and on the Circle of Thorns. It was the smile of a villain.

Vanessa was gone, there was only that essence of energy wearing her face. There was only one thing I could do, much as I didn't . Dashing forward, once again to the surprise of my captors, I reared the blade back...and cut down the body of Vanessa. Blood, fresh, not tainted toxic ooze, now covered me and my hands, permanently. Her body fell, the energy which had invaded her left her eyes, and I think I saw peace within them. All that was left was the Thorn Master, unfortunately he wasn't going to give me the chance I needed to defeat him.

A wave of his hand, and an incantation and a beam of green energy burst on me to hit me in the face. I dropped my sword on the ground as searing heat, not at all like the Behemoths, acidic in nature burning my skin off in sizzling pieces. Again, again, over and over, till the cliff met my back in empty void. He paused a moment to give me view of his face, smirking so arrogantly. "Do you have anything left to say boy?" I gritted my teeth in agony. "No." I then did the only I could do, and what I'd been doing since I'd begun fighting them.

I charged.

The Mage shot off a blast, I kept moving. His face changed to confusion, he shot a blast, I kept moving. His face was now in worry, he shot off another, I kept moving. He shot off another, another, another, I didn't care anymore, I just kept moving. I reached him, a punch to his face, one after another, just like he'd done to me, knocking HIM closer to the cliff with each hit, I knocked him to the ground as we neared the cliffs edge. I didn't want him to die quickly on impact some where below, that was too good for him. 'Make him bleed, make him hurt, make him BREAK!' I complied to the voice in my head. Rocks, all around, all for my use, all for me to beat this monster to the ground with. I ignored his screams, how many times had he listened to others screams and not cared? How many times had he hurt people to fuel the power of himself and his fellow cultists and not cared? How many people had suffered like Vanessa? How many? Even if it was just her and me that was far too many. So I took his life with those rocks, beating the carcass hours later after it had gone limp. Only when I was at last too tired to keep hitting it, did I finally stop and give into the seductress known as sleep.

When I awoke I was still in the Thorn layer for who knows how long. After waking up I still too mentally exhausted to make my escape, the Thorns however never had a chance to check on the 'finished' Ritual, a group of heroes had heard about me and Vanessa going missing, after checking with witnesses that had seen her and me go into the park. They knew it was Thorn territory and checked the caverns for us, they only found me. Me, on the pillar, sitting down staring at the ground covered bodily fluids both old and new, and especially with the body of the head Mage in such...disarray they decided to bring me in for questioning.

What occurred after that was pretty simple, I spent 2 weeks in hearing and a very long mental evaluation process. They asked me everything, mostly focused why I'd spent so much time taking vengeance out on the Mage, and why I did it so...brutally. "Honestly, I can't figure it out myself." I'd told evaluators behind the steel table. The evaluators, cops in business suits, looked at each other then the one on the left turned to me. "Look kid, we know damn well you were in extenuating circumstances, hell if I was in your shoes I'd probably beat the shit out of the guy too, I wouldn't have killed him, that's not my job is, nor is it why I joined this line of work," He said pointing to his badge. "But the fact is, I've been exposed to years, of criminal deeds, acts of violence, and even then I couldn't do what you did, I don't think that makes you a bad person, but I do think it's enough for us to warrant a continued evaluation, now I want you, ever week to show up here, it'll just be me, and my partner here," He nudged his head to the side to the man beside him. "But ya know, this means you'll be let out, we just need to file the," He shuddered. "Paperwork." I laughed, that was the first real joke I'd heard in a while. "That sound good to you?" I nodded. "Okay, Steve, lets go." They stood up, opened the door for me and followed me out. My primary interrogator turned to me as we walked down the police station halls. "By the way, after all the time we spent in there, I think I know everything about you but one thing, is there anything you're interested in?"

At that moment my life changed. I'd never given it any thought before, and I knew that, I had no clue what I wanted to be. Until now.

A hero streaked by the station window, cape in the fluttering wind, off to who knows where, but main goal in life obvious. To help people.

"Yeah...I do now."

(Seperation)

I finish my story, my origin, the closest guarded secret I have. And I've revealed it to this monster...god I'm pathetic. He's been sitting there the entire time, rigidly paying attention to me. Never moving, one leg over the other, arms crossed, sitting on a rock, staring at me as I told him everything. I wonder, 'What's he waiting for now? Is he waiting for me continue?' And then it happens, he moves. A simple stroke of his hidden chin, contemplating the story, letting it sink in, like a meal that you haven't quite decided that you liked or not, despite the fact that it's long passed into your gullet. "Very interesting, Meegelle," Going out of his way to pronounce it like everyone else still does, just to spite me a little more I bet. "Your story was enlightening, most enlightening, it was in many ways everything I expected it to be. Yet there is puzzlement within me, but life would not be enjoyable without questions; curiosity, could you sate it by answering these questions of mine?"

I looked at him in slight indignation. "Answer your questions? Like what? Isn't the story enough insight?" Tilting my head to the side as I asked. "Heh." Once more with that demi grunt of his. "No more than reading a book once brings true insight to the characters within, sometimes you must ask the author themselves. You mentioned the Thorn 'stick' do you realize what that was?" I shake my head. "No."

"Heh," Once more with that infernal grunt of his, why does he do it?! "That my dear boy was what is known as the Thorn Talisman, it's what allows the Thorns to recruit people...or rather, summon people." He could sense my confusion I knew, because he kept going long before I would have asked what that was. "It is, to be specific, a Soul transference mechanism, allowing the spirit within the 'stick' to enter the body the persons soul however is simply pushed out left to roam for essentially all eternity until it too could invade a body possibly by the same means. It also doesn't hurt the body it is stabbed into, since it's designed merely to attack someone's soul, not their body, wouldn't due to get the brand new body then lose it because your Talisman left a hole in it. But, the key behind the whole thing is that the person has to give in, despite the fact that they won't actually die, the strangling as you described by the Circle soul is so painful that the person gives in and then loses their body."

"Wait a minute. You mean to tell me that...that thing that they stuck me with...that spirit was invading my body...it was a ghost?!" I yelled, only to realize that might not be the best idea with all the rocks over head, which quickly reminded me and Konous of their precarious set up. Shift shift, and dust fell to the ground as Konous coughed to continue speaking. "Yes, and keep your voice down dear boy, the entire Circle of Thorns is essentially one giant walking pantheon of bodies possessed by ghosts. Exorcisms would normally bring the person back into power, but this is a possession which does not merely subdue the spirit, it removes it. All attempts at bring the spirit are impossible, since the despondent and cut off being now floats in a world invisible to our own." Despair welled up within me. "So Vanessa's soul is..." He nods solemnly, as though he ever felt anything for anyone! "Gone, forever to view life from a third person point of view, never seen, never touched, never noticed, except by the other ghosts of her realm."

And here it is right here, the truth that even as bad as I thought the Thorns were, they hadn't merely forcibly turned Vanessa into one of them, they'd taken from her, taken her to a place she could never come back from. I hate villains, but now I wish I could find the Thorns that did that to her resurrect them just to kill them again. Konous-Negative spoke. "I have one more question dear boy, and calm down a moment, no need for such seething rage at the moment," I take a sec to ease my anger. 'He is right, this was no time to get pissed, any amount of force could shift those rocks around.'

"Now, where were we? Ah yes, questions I would like to ask boy, when you became a hero were they worried about the fact that you'd killed villains before?" I nod my head. "Yeah, they were, Statesman's mentality is that regardless of who you are, you deserve a second chance. Killing to our illustrious leader is considered a sin. So when they gave my report a once over at the registration office, they put me on 'probation' of sorts where you're only allowed to save people so long as someone is watching you. It wasn't too bad, the guy that I worked with was alright and he showed me the ropes about saving people along the way, how to react to ungrateful citizens. All that stuff."

"Heh," Dear god if he does that one more time. "What I'd like to know is, did you think it was right to kill those Thorns? And if you could do it again...would you?" Glaring at him I answer. "I see where you're going with this, well guess what you ain't getting me to think like you do. I don't just kill people for no reason like you do, I don't murder people!" Condescending laughter, "uproarous" guffaw's, he's mocking me so plainly, it's like he's trying to get me mad...but he doesn't want to do that, I might bring the whole place down if that happens. Then why is he patronizing me? "So I kill people for no reason do I? A 'murderer' am I?" He says waving his hands about and wailing in a high pitch voice, even thought he's playing it off like saying that didn't bother him, it obviously did. I've learned to read peoples muscle movements, he tensed up right when I said that.

"Hell yeah you do! Don't think I haven't seen the pictures, heard what you've done! Everyone knows! Good honest heroes, you torture them to death, you ask them to join you and when they don't go your way you kill them, you're a murder!" I scream vehemence increasing. "Oh?" He asked chin on hand. "And how would you kill people?" I want to tear him limb from limb. "Only if they deserve it, only if they're bad enough to where there is no going back for...them." I realized as I quited down, he'd gotten me to tell him everything about myself. He's still got his head on his chin, but I know it, he's dancing a victory dance in his head, bastard.

"Ya know what? Before we keep talking about me, I want to ask something. How the fuck did you become a villain?" He stands up and admonishes me with a waved finger. "Language dear Meegelle." Once again with that pronunciation, its like he wants me to kill him.

"No, I want to know, how did you get to be where you are, I told you how I became a hero tell me how you became a villain." He walked around for a bit, pacing contemplating my suggestion, then he stopped. "You know boy, I don't think I've ever told anyone my story. Hm, why not? Alright boy, I'll tell you my story. Despite the rumors, I'm not a monster from another universe, I am not the Devil's son, I am not some technological super genius. I...am a human, and like all humans I had a child hood. Of all the things I remember I remember most the times with my two brothers. When we were young we were in the boy scouts. Like all boy scouts we had to perform good deeds to earn badges. My two brothers got theirs done quickly. Me, I got mine done but there was a problem," He pauses stopping in the middle of cave in. "The problem wasn't in that I couldn't find an old lady to help out, that was easy, it was the after math of helping her that I had a problem with." He's turning around holding his hands out unclenched in front. "The deed felt...empty, no that's not the right word, it felt guilty, like doing it had been the wrong thing to do. Well what do you do when something feels 'bad' to you? You do just the opposite! So I took that same old lady and instead of helping her across the full length of the street I left her half way." He stops moving. I wait.

And wait.

And wait.

And wait some more.

Okay that's enough waiting. "Wait is that it?" He nods his head vigorously. "You can't be serious. You just left her there and that was how you became villain? You didn't even hurt her?" He shakes his head. "Didn't need to Meegelle, the cars did all the work for me." Killing people is bad and I know he's done some terrible things but killing an old lady? "After she was dead though I felt something, an indescribable joy, like nothing ever felt. When I hurt someone, when I kill an innocent Meegelle, it isn't the sadistic pleasure that serial rapist gets as he fornicates with a dead corpse. Or the selfish gloating joy a street thug gets from robbing someone blind. It's a very quiet but powerful joy. Simply feeling that I had done right."

How the hell do you respond to something like this? "So that's it? After that you decided from then on you'd be a villain? From just...one murder?" I don't know what it was about the word murder and him but he's tensing up right now, rolling his head about, and even twitching a little. "Did you just call me a...murderer...Meegelle?" His tone, it just got a lot deeper as though I'd said I pissed on his mother's grave and had sex with the corpses. I don't wanna talk, I don't want to breathe, cause if I do he'll do something, he'll attack, I don't know, no one knows what he does or what he'll do, but he's pissed. "Stalkingly", he creeps, no longer bound to the floor fleeting, across the ground, human once he-may have been but those movements were by far too bizarre to be of any homo-sapien. From wind up doll movements rigid and jerking, "spasmatic" to a paper floating in the capricious wind, breezing by and then right in your face! And as it is now with me, looming in front faces inches apart, his breath held back only by the mask, and I dare not wonder that even his breath might be singed with evil.

"Meegelle...do you even know what a murderer is?" Speechless. "MEEGELLE!" The rocks did not shudder, as though even they would not move to dare disturb the anger of this beast. "A murderer is someone who kills." I said my voice finally gaining back some measure of courage. A lot of good it would do me, as I quickly found myself tossed across the room landing in the center. "Ennnggggg, WRONG! You know damn well that's not what a murderer is Meegelle, because I know for sure you don't think yourself a murderer." Stand up. Face the enemy. "Yeah," I respond. "But that...I had to defend myself, I had to defend Vanessa! It's wasn't a murder I was defending her!" Uproar, his laughter, it's gotta be the scariest thing about him I've decided. "Oh that's rich Meegelle, yes you defended her, right up until you destroyed her possessed body and ripped that Circle leader to shreds for hours on end, oh yes wonderful defense my lad." Biting, scalding, gnashing remark, it hurts what he says, mostly because I know it's true. Anger. "Then what?! I should have just let him hurt someone else? Let him hurt someone like Vanessa?! He was a villain it's they're intent to go after what they want regardless of who's in the way! If I let him live he'd just hurt someone else! Did I kill him? Yes I did but I'm not a murderer!"

Echo. The rebound on these walls is terrible, but the rocks are still holding, and after the sounds waves stopped rebounding. Now I'm hearing and seeing something I'm not expecting, clapping. One at first then it picks up speed, like a teacher having heard his student make a major break through in understanding the lesson. "Well done, yes, that's exactly it my boy. Murdering is killing, but killing is not necessarily murdering." He's pacing in circles now. "The prime thing that separates the two I believe, is that if you murder someone, it is out of selfish intent, to make personal gain of some sort. Killing can be murdering, but it can also be something more, something a bit more...selfless. You Meegelle, you killed that Circle Leader, not just because he hurt you, but because he would continue to hurt others regardless of who put him in jail. You see, you are not a Murderer Meegelle, you're a killer, much like me."

What he last said, couldn't be let past. "You? Not a murderer? How many people have you kil-destroyed so that you could rob a bank with ease. How many have had to die for your schemes! You play with people's lives, criminals or innocents like they're puppets!" He's nodding, arms crossed, his eyes are closed probably behind those goggles, like he's agreeing to a wise saying he's just heard. He's taking in all this like I just told him things he'd already known, but I can also see, he's trying to tell me something, and it seems I'm not getting it. Added to the fact that I keep calling him a murderer when he doesn't seem to like it, he's probably pretty annoyed right now. "Thank you for that update Meegelle, now, has it ever occurred to you to wonder WHY I do all that? Why I go around stealing money from banks and killing the tellers? Why I manipulate the crime lords, innocent children men and women to help aid my schemes? Or why every now and then I just kill someone for instance 'Helping an old lady across the street'?" I'm dumbfounded. "It's because my dear boy, I'M EVIL! There's not much else to it Meegelle, you want to help people and you do that! I want to hurt people and I do that! It's what we do! It's who we are! Some times Meegelle you have to understand that there is no selfish intent, I don't want the money because I like the 'power' associated with 'the green', I want it so that I can put it to good use to hurt people! That's why I am not a murderer Meegelle, I never do anything for myself! I'm a killer! I'M. JUST. LIKE. YOU!" He punctuated every word by getting closer and slamming his foot to the ground harder and harder with each one.

I went to the other side of the wall, slowly, listlessly like a ghost unable to comprehend my surroundings, sat down, and tried to control the amassing vortex that had developed within me. 'No, I'm not like him, I'm not like him...'

(Seperation)

Time passes, it always does, and when it does it always feels like that old bastard is mocking you. Like as he rolls by you in seconds in minutes in hours he's giving you the finger and you just don't see it. At the moment I don't care about him...all that I can concentrate on is the undeniable concept that was circulating through the synapses of my brain.

'I'm just like him.'

How do you deal with something like this? Realizing that after all the time you've spent hunting down villains and standing up for what you think is right...you find you're almost identical to one of their worst. How do you deal with that?

I didn't have to, in a few moments the worst of them piped up. "Listen Meegelle," I looked up, he's lying down in the center of the room, spread eagle, staring at the ceiling. "I realize that, telling you all that, you're probably feeling a bit...overwhelmed, but please don't let it get to you."

Electricity flows through me, surges of voltage running through my body, I'm shocked. How the FUCK does he expect me to do that? "Don't let it get to me? How can I not? You just proved to me beyond a doubt within my mind that I'm 'just like you', so why shouldn't I be a bit overwhelmed?" Mimicking him so plainly in my voice.

A sigh, not despairing but of frustration. "Okay just because you're like me doesn't make you me. You're a killer yes but lots of people kill Meegelle, you have to understand it's not the deed alone that makes a person a hero or a villain, it's the reason they do it." He stands and once again assumes the teacher like air about him. "For instance, I've killed people and you've killed people but are they the same? No not at all, because the reason behind it is different. I'm Evil, I kill people because killing has a very powerful effect on the lives of the innocent, it creates a wave of pain, suffering, and grieving as people mourn over the loss of their loved ones. You on the other hand killed for a very different reason. You killed because you didn't want anyone else to be hurt by the Circle of Thorns Mage, you did it to protect people to make sure that they wouldn't be hurt, in this way you create a positive wave effect which allows people to continue on with their daily lives."

Interest both in the discussion and in a way to relieve myself of the feeling of nauseating despair I had let wash over me after talking with him propelled me to take interest into what he was speaking about, but it wouldn't let go so easily. "But Statesman said that all forms of killing are wrong and that it shouldn't be allowed anywhere."

A scoff, both at Statesman and his ideals. "Oh yes, everyone shouldn't kill. This is coming from the nearly immortal demi god who leads you all, while good in mentality it's highly impractical, since most enemies WILL come back to haunt you at some point. Now it's true, not killing common street thugs? Definitely a good concept, those are merely citizens who've gone a bit astray, save them if you must and try to turn them into decent people go ahead. But if you honestly think that a villain who spent his life time determined on a set goal is going to stop merely because you toss them into a cell even with solitary confinement, then you my friend have high hopes...or are a damnable fool. Villains don't just stop BEING villains. The reason most take that course Meegelle is because of an event in their life which forced them to become that way. That's like telling a bird that's been raised all it's life to be a bird and telling it 'Ya know what mister Bird you're going to be a turtle!' It just doesn't happen. Or it could be like you and me Meegelle, tell me what would cause you to become a villain? Or for that matter me to become a hero?" He waits for no response continuing without abandon. "It's about as likely as Creationist considering the possibility of evolution!"

Mulling over his rant chaotic and if a bit repetitive rant for a bit I had to give him credit, he had a point. Half the villains we put in jail, rapists, thieves...murderers will never repent for the things they've done, heroes they've killed...wouldn't it just be better to end their lives in combat instead of letting them hurt more people? "You've got a point there I suppose. But no one would let that get passed because then different Heroes would kill villains for different points of perspective on what is right and wrong." I proposed my question in a statement form with a frown.

His familiar chuckle, now I'm not so against it any more, births itself from his mouth. "Heh heh heh, yes indeed, right and wrong, it's different across each side, good and evil I mean...tell me Meegelle, what is your definition of right and wrong?" I purse my lips in thought. "Strange, hard to say now. So many ways you can say it, but I guess, I just want to help people really is all, I'd say that's my right." I finish, despite the inner voice in my head roaring at me 'Why did you tell him? WHY?! He's a monster you know that! It doesn't matter what he says he's going to hurt people!'

"Well said, some times less is more, mine is easily your wrong, I just want to make people suffer. But back on to what you said, I think you're the only person who's said 'just help people' and actually meant it." I look up with interest. "Most people would say the same thing, but then they add sub clauses to these statements 'I'll help anyone I see...that isn't gay, black, white, Hispanic, Christian...etc' or any of those other variants there of, the point I'm trying to make, good and evil make up your right and wrong, they're both simple concepts, yet people add on all these little exceptions due to their own prejudices." Nod nod, I know this pretty well, I'd seen it all over Paragon city.

"Yeah I mean just last week end I saw a preacher right, in this day and age, talking about the 'evils' of gay marriage and how it was causing people to become monsters."

"Heh, oh yes like I'm going to hire a gay person **simply** on the fact that they're gay and as we all know, two men or women kissing or having sex causes pain and agony for millions world wide, or the horror and humanity, or immigrants stealing 'American' jobs is harming the economy, yes jobs that no one wants to take yes truly a blight on the dollar mister politician." Sighing, this time it is one of despair. "I tell you Meegelle, I have lived a long life, and since then I have seen evil twisted and used as the representation for all these things, and to be honest it depresses me." Looking at the ground, probably trying to imagine simpler more black and white times.

Raise an eye brow a bit. "Why should that depress you Konous-Negative?" He raises his head. "Why shouldn't it, if someone calls a rapist a good man wouldn't it get to you?" WINCE. "Okay, maybe you have a point there, still although you're observant you don't strike me as the type to get emotional because someone's misusing your profession."

Professor mode activates and he again waving his arms about his invisible black board. "I take pride in my Evil Meegelle, a lot, it's my whole life. Just as Good, helping and protecting the innocent, is yours, making good and innocent people suffer, twisting and turning heroes and making them villains, that's mine. It's everything I do, like I said before it's not something I eat and drink really, I need a break from my job just like everyone, but I still enjoy it just like everyone else, so when someone walks along and uses my work, my job, my LIFE and mutilates it to their own selfish needs and desires it gets to me it really really does." Another sigh. "And sometimes, I wonder if I'm even doing it right, but then, when I hear the screams of the innocent, the sounds of woes and suffering, and the laughter of TRUE villain, not some self serving greed filled pig, a but person devoted to just hurting people by any means necessary, that's when I know I've done right."

He's saying all this with a straight face. It's hilarious really, in the media he's portrayed as this sinister monster who'd rape babies and get off on it, kill his own team mates just because he felt like it, without mercy or care as to why he was doing it. I think now I see the truth about who Konous-Negative is, he's Evil to be sure no doubt about that, but I think honestly the definition of Evil has been skewed by television and the world around. If I'm a guy that just wants to help people and that makes me good, shouldn't it make sense that the reverse is evil. But what of all those other people? Those self serving ones he talks so much about, the mobsters, the gangsters who think they're hot stuff, blazing guns into banks all for the feel of 'power' they get from it. What about them? "Konous-Negative, what will happen when, I mean, you know, I mean you said anyway, they wouldn't find us...but what would happen if they did?" He leans up against a nonexistent wall much like a mime and begins brushing dust off his hand that isn't there. "I expect if it was Arachnos, the Rouge Isles Villain army, that found us, I'd tell them about you and have them kill you."

I don't know why, but for some reason, a part of me felt wounded right there, like he'd just stabbed me with a knife. He speaks up again after my thoughts are finished. "And if by some chance your Hero friends came, I'd expect you to do the same." I stared right at him, there was no inflection in his voice, no sign that he was joking, by all information given he should be completely serious.

I find myself almost asking, begging, why? "Why, how, I can't kill you I mean...how can you say that?!" I yell and as I yell I notice something. Something was holding me back, holding back that aspect of me, that driving force behind all the deeds I'd done in my life, something was holding me back from even contemplating killing Konous-Negative now. What was it?

"I can say that Meegelle because I honestly know that both in my mind and in my heart, if either of us leaves here, we will be major thorn in the others sides. I want you for a moment to forget all that we have shared in here, under these circumstances, everything. Who are you Meegelle?"

I can't seem to speak it's like part of me doesn't want to go along with this. Why? What will change by me saying what I already know? "I'm a Hero."

A nod from him is his response. "Yes, yes indeed and I'm a Villain. I expect that if we ever fought again, who would win? Neither of us because both us would be so set on sparing the other. I know I won't stop my pursuit of Evil and destroying Good. And I know damn well you won't stop trying to protect Good and destroying Evil. We would be forever locked trying to destroy each other. It wold be better to get it over with before it began then." He finishes, and now I'm awe struck. I'd never thought of that, what would happen if they found us? That it would be 'Hey guys it's me Meegelle, oh look here's Konous-Negative the world renowned killer and destroyer! Only he's not so bad once you get to know him...why are you point your guns at me?' That's pretty much how it would roll. Damn.

We had nothing to talk about for a while, I think he wanted to let me to myself again so I could mull over all that. Damn it all.

"Did you ever find someone after Vanessa Meegelle?" He rouses me from my inner musings. "What? Oh," Pause, now that I think about it, no I haven't. "No, I haven't actually, damn, I've spent all this time helping people that I never really had much time for a 'love life'. Man, all this time, and not one girl to show for it." Laughter, both of us, it's like I'm with Kieff again. I quit college after what happened with Vanessa, didn't want to take the looks of fear and resentment from everyone...Kieff what are you doing right now? "What about you?" He raises his head in interest. "I mean is their any villainess you're interested in ya know, not hurting at all and ya know maybe putting aside the whole 'pain and suffering' thing for?" It's a joke obviously, he's devoted to his cause not like he could have someone he likes, I mean he may not be psycho path, but Evil can't love...can it? He's sighing again, that's number 3 right? "I see you're not quite understanding me still, Love is not something centric only to Good and Hate only to Evil. For if a Hero can Hate Evil, he must Love Good. Therefore, when I say I want to hurt people, it isn't everyone I'm aiming at, just as you seek to denounce evil," He thrusts his arms forward to me. "I seek to denounce good," Back to him again. "You seek to protect Good, I seek to protect Evil. And, just as you can easily fall in love with fellow hero or heroine, so can I with a villain or villainess." He turns his back to me, now facing the wall, his hands are crossed behind his back he's looking beyond the rubble.

"But, at the same time the reverse is also true, there is nothing, and has been nothing, to stop a hero to fall head over heals with a villainess, and vice versa." Awkward silence. Trying to take this all in properly. He can't mean what I think he means can he? "Wait, are you saying that...you're in love with...a heroine Konous-Negative?" This last sigh is not of frustration, or mere despair, it's the sigh bartenders see on the faces of men everywhere who drown their sorrows in liquor to ease their heart break. It's the sigh of the geek who despite dredging up the courage to ask his intended date out, gets turned down. It was true, I couldn't believe it. Konous-Negative was in love with a heroine. "How...how the hell does that happen? I mean aren't you against good and all it stands for?" A nod, a limp and barely lifted one.

"I am." So tacit, he's really serious about this. "And to be honest, I don't know why I still love her, she'll never love me back, I know this much, or why I can't seem to break myself of it. As to how it happened..."

I'd like to say we met in a park, I'd like to say it was with spring filled roses and cherished good times. I'd like to say I asked her if she returned my feelings and she responded yes. All those things are a damn lie.

(Seperation)

It had been my mission that day to do what I did best, fight, cause mayhem, destruction and maybe even on the way get something to eat. I'd been dropped off into Peregrine Island, home to some of the strongest heroes in all Paragon City. It was a Mayhem Mission, these are rather simple concepts, our Brokers, villain job searchers eventually set us on going into Paragon City and attacking the Heroes at the heart, instead of fighting in some desolate region in between Paragon and my, and the home of all Villains, the Rouge Isles. Mayhems however involves going deep into enemy territory, and causing as much mischief as you can. Now the primary mission, is rob a bank, like most villains really, but along the way you do other things, arson, kidnapping, stealing advanced technology, or just plain blowing stuff up along the streets, people or not. These missions are so popular now in fact among villains that they've actually become some what of a game, more points for more destruction caused and what not. Now I had decided while I was here I wanted to do all these things. I pretty much went along the way using my Negative Energy abilities to blind people and have them walk into electric fences and get stuck on them, destroy cars of crippled old ladies, lots of good fun. The arson was particularly good, though every bomb I tried to set up some hero come in to stop me and break my concentration, it got to the point where I used their left over bodies to block the entrance to the building I was "arsoning"(Which actually turned out to be a damn good choice too because I think the sight of the dead bodies may have traumatized a few passerby children. Oh what good fun). The kidnapping went alright I suppose, though I must admit, the person I kidnapped, some high end corporate executive, was really...well some would call courageous, no this man was foolish. The key difference between the two is stupidity. It is courageous to realize escape is your only chance and seize the opportunity when it presents itself. However, it is foolish to try to escape at any given instance even going to far as to use the 'Hey what's that over there!' line and then dashing as fast as you could the other way, regardless of whether the person looked or not, and I will not deny I looked once, and almost twice. But still, he kept doing it even after I threatened to have him raped for all eternity by the monsters of the Rouge Isles. I think he tried it one more time before I decided enough was enough and knocked him out.

But all things come to and end and much as I enjoyed my work, I knew it was time to rob the bank. Like most paragon banks it was heavily staffed, and given the time I took to do all the other aspects of the Mayhem Mission the Paragon Police department had taken liberty to arm the bank chock full of Peace Bringers, which I'm not entirely sure if you've seen them or not, are sentient beings of energy fused into the bodies of another being, this fusion enables the duo to perform amazing acts of power and destruction, however as it stands there has been no record of Peace Bringers using their powers for maleficent purposes. Now most Peace Bringers are hard to spot except for the fact that when you become one you attain a 'Oh So Absolutely Positively Charged!' aura of white about them. So from the get go I had good feelings as to what I was in store for.

They turned to me immediately, every one of them had replaced the normal positions inside the massive bank of the tellers, the customers and even the more useless than dead weight security guard that for some reason chooses to defend gobs and gobs of cash when there is a likely event that a villain may appear and take the money and kill them in seconds since they have no super powers what so ever to speak of. I repeat, why is he working there? All things aside every Peace Bringer in that bank focused on me hawks on target, preparing energy blasts in hand but never releasing them, the silent din of war howled across the money repository ordering each of us to make the first move. A shoot out, the only one missing was Clint Eastwood.

Given that I decided to open the festivities with a good old fashioned ice breaker.

"May I ask you all something?" Silence, I expected that. "Why did you all decide to wait for me here in the bank which will inevitably get damaged instead of just ambushing me outside?"

Heroes do not like you pointing out their faults, they threw those blasts with a fury unmatched by The Kindly Ones. Duck, roll, dodge, duck, roll, dodge, duck, roll-Enough! With that last roll I decided to to turn the tables back on them, continuing my foot work till it took me to one of the guard replacement Peace Bringer and I pulled him about and began using him as a shield. Was a good tactic, their pause gave me the time I needed to build up some Negative Energy stores from the available people in the vicinity, however this would not last long. At that moment the epaulet adorned captain of the Peace Bringers called for his men to halt fire. "Sir we can't take the shot with Will in the way!" Called out a Private from behind.

Cause and effect, upon hearing that my hostage called out. "Don't worry about me guys take the shot!" He was actually willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good? Now that's devotion you can respect. Grimacing, quick reaction calculations and the captain came to an answer. "Alright! Men open fire!" Blast after blast, as little discrimination as possible with absolute regard for their friends life but could not give any for his safety as they attempted to save the suffering of millions by ending the life of two. But some times the needs of the many wastes the sacrifice of the few, sadly to say.

Pushing against the beams of energy, using young Will as the shield he had set himself to be I pressed forward against the blasts, which had trouble penetrating an aura of the same nature which surrounded all Peace Bringers. Closer, closer still I lunged toward the captain, to cut this leader of the pack down to the ground. Drawing on my inner strength I hurled Will's not hole ridden corpse into the other Peace Bringers allowing them to understand the reality of death close up and personal. Whilst they were distracted I sought the energy I had built up and formed it into an all too familiar shape, a curved scimitar and slashed it unto the commander vertically while he called up a blade of his own.

Blade to blade pressing forward with our might, I could see his hairless bald pale face grit as his aura blazed with raw positive Energy. "I'm going to see you dead Konous-Negative!" My aura however had hardly even emerged. "Tut tut, captain a temper never serves anyone. Why don't you try some yoga? I hear it's quite therapeutic." His eyes were livid fury all encompassing. "Men fire! Kill him!"

But the captain's squad did not move. By the looks on their faces, they were too shocked from Will's death to kill another team mate, much less their captain. And since I tossed the body of their friend onto them they have a pretty good idea of how they're captain would look after something like that. And that is the problem with Heroes. They live sheltered lives, most anyway. Lives of power and and absolute strength, these 'gifts' had never reinforced in their heads that they could die. Sure everyone 'knows' they could die, but no one 'believes' it. With so much strength on their side dieing would be impossible right? Wrong, and now they're paying for it. Their captain's orders fall on deaf ears. His eyes widen in horror as he realizes this. Too, little too late.

Letting go of my vaunted test of strength against the captain, allowing him to slide forward I slashed across his back, cutting his spinal chord down the center. Wasting no time to hear the body thud, I dispersed my blade sent off my own blasts, retaliating for long over due trespasses. Most didn't have their shields up in time to defend against the blasts and felt Negative energy course through them like cancer killing their Positive energy, those that did have their shields up were still too wounded to put up much of a fight afterwards. When all was over I was one villain among a mess of bodies of once were Peace Bringers. I surveyed my work, recounting each of their attempts to defeat me. "You all put up a good fight...but evil triumphs once again! MWUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" I cackled, I think the victory laugh is the most fun I get out of those jobs. Couldn't call that one though a true victory laugh, for in a moment, the focal point of this entire story descended on my location.  
"Halt monster!" Irritated that my moment in the black and malevolent sun had been stripped from me, I turned to face what dared take this precious thing of mine. And there she gradually floated, to the ground, through one of the holes created by an errant blast in the wall by one of the younger Peace Bringers. She was not an Amazon of bulging muscular and aesthetic proportions, merely well fitted while at the same time featuring rather prominent and pleasing aspects of her athletic body. And once more was she neither flaunting her beauty, as many heroines are oft to do when they come to Paragon, dressed in what could be comparable to dental floss to cover they're bulging assets, but once more the light purple Asian silk robe did not hold everything back, as it clearly showed she was indeed female, and healthy as well. None of the extremes while at the same time showing the strengths of both. Right in the middle, there was something subtly alluring about that.

I did not love her yet let me first state. Only now am I beginning to wish I had payed more attention to how she'd looked back then, but at the time I was focused solely on what she presented. Another great battle, of good vs evil, another chance to test myself in the never ending struggle that had begun with Cain and Abel. "Who are you maiden so fair? Who are you who disturbs my dark deeds?" I said with a light bow. How I love playing the 'classy' villain every once and again.

"I," She paused for effect. "am Numina!" Her name sounded vaguely familiar, as though it should be striking a gong of warning within my mind. But my inner thought train screeched to a halt as at that moment something interesting began to happen. And by interesting I mean vexing. One by one, the Peace Bringers wounds began to rise and one by one they began to rouse themselves from their status of unconsciousness to semi sobriety. Staggering to their feat most had to rely on the other for support hardly able to continue on despite their sudden rejuvenation.

"Hrm," I drew out taking in the scene before me, and then it came together, the last piece in the puzzle. "Oh right you're that Numina! The Freedom Phalanx's resident healer." Slapping my fist into the palm of my hand, and stroking my chin appreciatively. "I've never fought one of you before." I looked around for her compatriots, the swift and shocking Synapse, the potent and prominent Positron, the misleading masterful bowman Manticore, and of all, the stalwart and supreme Statesmen, to whom all heroes answered to. But none I saw, this was, interesting. "Pardon me, but, where are you're friends dear Numina? Normally you and your group members never travel far from each other, but here you are...alone, why?"

"My friends are dealing with problems...else where, at the moment." A light grimace in exemplified by the slight quirk in her eye brow was the only indication to her discomfort on the subject. "But, I'm more than enough to deal with the likes of you! Especially when I have the aid of my fellow heroes!" Referring to the now even still reviving Peace Bringers who really didn't help her boast by now beginning to vomit, as though they had contracted a new disease 'near death sickness'.

"Tell you what Heroine, how about this, we don't fight here right now, because your fellow heroes," Motioning to the Peace Bringers. "Aren't doing too well, however why don't we take this outside, away from them, say maybe outside?" I presented.

She was thinking it over, and I could already tell she was going to agree with it, she smirked. "Alright, I'll follow your idea for now, but we will relocate elsewhere, I do not wish for the citizens to be harmed." I nodded, this was perfectly understandable and perfectly predictable. But I didn't mind, people did tend to get in the way of both combatants regardless of who was fighting for what cause.

Up she flew, probably on the innate flow of energy produced by the Earth, and out of the bank into the blue above. "Follow me villain." She said looking back at me before continuing on her path. "All too easily dear Numina." Taking a moment to do what had long since become a common occurrence I focused on the currents of Positive and Negative energy created by Paragon's citizenry, reaching out to one such current and allowing it to carry me up into the air and right behind Numina.

Peregrine Island earns it's name well, shaped like the head of bird it comes up into a tip like beak which was bare grassy field currently unoccupied by the skyscrapers of the island but was close enough to the small urban center that people might walk to the field. It would be ideal for our uses.

We landed and she faced me, open stance, she had no experience in real hand to hand combat as a healer, but she had a deadly array of magics that were flexible, as was the source of her power. This would be an interesting fight.

At first there was silence, nothing between us, neither moved nor breathed, in a self created trance that kept our eyes focused on each other intently unable to move from one another. Then it happened.

She struck first.

Pellets, pellets, pellets, of miniature mana blasts rained down me like hail stones, she had some how managed to get above me in seconds, without my sensing it and she used it to her full advantage. Though the blasts were weak over and over they pummeled into me over time causing massive damage to my body and spirit as a whole. I could take no more! Grasping onto the current I rose up in the air and formed my favored scimitar and slashed at her whilst she barely comprehended I had moved and began to fall back to doge. Blood flew from her face as my cut but barely marred her face and not enough to stop her from putting up a shield to block my future attacks. Strike after strike, none could penetrate her ethereal multi colored wall of energy. "Damn you!" I cursed while grabbing her shield with all my might in preparation to throw her to the ground, only to be shocked by energy she sent free flowing directly into my body through it.

Cinder plumes of gas and smoke rose off me as I staggered back to get my bearings. I didn't have long as Numina came at me focusing a portion of her energy into her fists turning them into deadly pikes mana energy. However, as I dodged her fist to the left and wrapped around her arm with my own, she quickly realized which of us was the better in melee combat. I succeeded this time in trying to bring her to the ground, rushing air and colliding winds doing their best to slow us down to no avail as we continued to accelerate onward to the ground below. An earthquake ripple effect lashed outwards around as we collided with ground, with her acting as my buffer against it.

At first nothing, no movement from either of us, though she absorbed most of the impact even I was shocked by the amount of force that I received. Straining to get up from the after resulting impact.

The Earth however seemed fit to prevent that as it swayed to and fro, topsy turvy about keeping me from regaining orientation. "Look Earth, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." Grabbing my head seemed to pacify the Earth a bit as at that moment it decided to stop moving around so much. "Glad to see we could some to an agreement." After I caught my bearings I turned back to Numina's unconscious body only to find...it wasn't there. I ran over to the pit where her body used to be, trying to find some clue as to where she was now, but to no avail I found none. At least until a moment later a voice rang out behind me. "Good always triumphs in the end villain, you must realize that."

Twitch twitch, I can feel my muscles spasm in my had as she says that behind me covered in scrapes and bruises but otherwise no supreme damage from the impact of the fall. She was powerful indeed. "Yes in the end, only the end according to your point of view. In the end, each side triumphs at some point, every monarchy falls," I re-summoned my sword. "And every hero dies. The same is true for villains. A villain will dominate the world for maybe centuries and that will be his or her triumph I suppose, but eventually a hero comes and destroys him and then there is an era of good feeling afterwards. That is the heroes triumph. But in the end from that era of good feelings comes the villain to end it and cause suffering. We are locked in a never ending spiral of creation and destruction on both sides Numina we each measure the triumph at different points but in the end...neither of us does. Heroes and Villains will fight each other to their ending days and neither side will ever truly win." She closed her eyes and at first I thought it was to take in what I'd said, but no, her wounds began to disappear, wounds sealing themselves over as she bathed in a green aura, her healing magics taking care of her ailments before my eyes. And once more before me there she was, "kempt", pristine and perfect. "True," She responded. "It is true that in the end none of us ever win." I smirked, she couldn't see it naturally but I think she knew. "Then why did you say that 'Good always triumphs' then?" It was her turn to smirk. "Statesmen believes we should lead by example and should try our best to serve as representations of the other heroes should believe in. It's been far too long saying that I've almost begun to believe it myself."

Chortle, oh dear that was so rich, I couldn't help but let it out. "So you've tricked yourself, you've sold yourself to the younger heroes, in an effort to rally them to someone else's ideal? Oh that's wonderful." I couldn't help but mock that idea, that concept Her smirk became a killer glare pointed directly at me.

"It's hardly selling myself. I want to help people, and Statesman believes they need someone to rally to, a stalwart figure to give them hope. If the people of Paragon need that to survive I don't mind **sacrificing **myself for them." Emphasizing as much as she could on 'sacrificing'. A long drawn out silence between us, a shoot out at sundown in the old west. Each of us was waiting for the other to go first to allow the other to counter their attack. "So you'll do whatever it takes to help people Numina?" I muttered, it was beginning to rain, a light drizzle, not a torrential storm...but enough to catch your notice. Such dedication, such stalwart discipline, such devotion, I hadn't seen it in years. It was then I realized I felt something welling up from within me, at the time I wasn't sure what it was, now I know. A terse nod from her as she rose once more into the air, picking our battle ground again. Concentrating once more, 'evil bring me evil', all the Negative energy I could think of, rallying to me, energizing me. This would be no quick fight, I knew that now, I'd need everything I could to bring her down. She was one of the greatest heroes Paragon had, it was time to take this seriously. My wounds too folded over as the dark deeds of people all over paragon encircled me and wrapped me in their embrace.

"It's time to end this my dear." She and I were set. We would destroy each other, that was all there was to it. That was how it was meant to be. Nothing would stop us, nothing at all.

Or so I thought.

We flew to each other blade against fist, her mana energies versus the omni present forces of Negative Energy. I would slash at her heart and she would block. She would strike at my body and resolution, I would dodge. Rinse, wash, repeat, on and on it seemed to go one each of us trying to out duel the other. I attempted a vertical slash counting on her blocking over head with both arms, since she didn't have much physical strength, and then I would stab her in the chest where she was open. However, she rolled in the air to the side in the last moments of slash and flew to my side as I over extended myself and then found her fist in my face. Rolling with the punch to my head I used the pivotal momentum to spin about adding force to my slash I cut her across the back. Blood, not a lot. "Well would you look at that Numina," I said displaying my soaked clothing. "I'm going to have to wash these wraps of mine for days to get this stain out." She didn't share my humor, she roared back to life again healing her back again those infernal mystical energies. She was using that a lot, as her punches went for me I could see she was losing her edge, losing her focus.

The strikes became sloppy over time, her constant healing was wearing herself down. At last I had a strategy, I knew how I would beat her. I focused my strategy on merely making small wounds with rapier quick strikes, cutting into her lightly, over the arms, impeding her combat. She fell for it healing herself constantly, attempting to make sure that no wound was left on her, but her will to fight diminished as she continued to expend more energy than she took in, and she soon lost all power to fly, and fell to the ground.

There she lay, on the most ground amidst the mud, the grass and puddles. I dropped down and kneeled beside her. Staring up into the sky with the defeated look of a cheetah who couldn't catch the one gazelle it needed to avoid starvation. She had failed, and she knew what was coming. Her friends were gone, it was just me and her, and I'd won. "It's over Numina." Finality, echoing within my voice. "You fought well, but it's over, I'm sorry." I think that was the first time I'd ever said that to a Hero, and I meant it, every bit of it. I raised my sword and brought it down into chest. I stood for moments unmoving, the rain still pelting me, my eyes and ears closed to the world, the deafening chorus of emptiness echoing around me too much to bear. When something stirred me. I looked down. She was not dead!

Her eyes now had now regained their fire, their determination, as she moved herself up and began climbing up my sword, grasping for me, attempting to strangle what life I had in me. "Numina, stop it, you can't win! It's over, don't do this to yourself!" I screamed in hysteria. Why was she doing this? How could she be doing this? It simply wasn't possible. Her breathing was labored, her heart had to be giving out, and yet she persisted. "I made a promise. Regardless of what I have to do Konous-" She spat out blood on me and on the sword. "Konous-Negative, that I would protect(hack) the people of world. I will not break it I will not let anyone be hurt. Regardless of what I must do, regardless of what you've done, I will stop you!"

I was stunned, my sword faded from existence I stepped back in fear. She fell to the ground again, her purchase on raising herself up disappeared. I didn't know what to think. I had never met a Hero so devoted to their cause, so willing to help people, the rules and ethics of whomever be damned she wanted to help people. In all my years in Paragon City and the Rouge Isles, among heroes and villains alike, I had noticed a certain trend. They were all out for themselves. Heroes often saved people for the fame the glory and the respect garnered from the people of Paragon. Villains often hurt people because they wanted something from them, and hurting them was the fastest means possible. Never in my years of villainy had I seen anyone be so selfless.

I stood there dumb for moments unable to do anything when my mind snapped back into reality. My mind realized she was dying, and I was the only one could save her. My energy, my Negative energy, I called on it focusing it as I could into a regenerative frequency, and let it flow over her. I watched as it washed over her, healing the wounds and mending her organs. Her breathing returned to normal and her heart beat returned. Once she was better, I flew up into the air, and made a swift get away. Not from the police, not from any authority, not even from her friends. But from her. Because I realized right then what the feeling was that had come over me earlier, what started out as simple infatuation had become something more.

I loved her.

(Seperation)

He ends his story with 3 simple words...they hold such power in them, it just didn't seem possible. I knew what I knew, Konous-Negative was a mur-killer and despite of everything, all he's done, I can't help but feel after all that we've told each other, a connection between me and him. A sort of kinship you find with few friends among your kind and people throughout the world. How the hell did this happen exactly?

"So, you fell in love with Numina. Damn, of all the choices. I mean I know a lot of guys who have fantasies about Ms. Liberty, or hell Sister Psyche and Valkyrie." I shake my head back and forth head down. How the hell? This was something you only found in those Soap Operas on the Spanish network channel. "But damn, I mean Numina. Well you sure can pick 'em. I mean she'll never-" He looks up at me, not scalding, not despairing, just a raised look into my eyes that spoke 'Enough'. Yeah he got that picture long ago.

"So...what will you do?" I asked looking at him there so stock still now staring at the ground. He doesn't say much for a moment then speaks up. "I don't know honestly. I've never told her and even if I did how could it work? I would be doomed to guilt if I became a hero in her name, for every good deed I did my soul would weep and scream and that's something I could not bear. And I couldn't turn her to my side, much as it would please me morally I couldn't stand to hurt her." He's back to looking at the floor again, man he must really find some interesting dirt to stare at down there. I've tried to look at it, but the rocky floor only reminds me of that which surrounds me. Fuck, I'd almost totally forgot of our abysmal situation.

"But hey, I mean look at it this way, we're gonna die man." He looks up again. "You'll be able to forget about all that. Get it out of your mind because after this...what is there?" He shrugs his shoulders. "I have no clue, I've never given much thought on the after life, finding my way here in life was what mattered to me. And all I can say of where I end up is that regardless of what religion I did or didn't belong to, I did my best based on what I thought was right. That's really I think all anyone can ask of anyone else." I look to the side. 'Yeah that's not a bad philosophy,' I looked over my life, all the religions I'd been introduced to, I'd tried the finality of both Christianity and Atheism, and the middle ground of Agnosticism. In the end none of them were for me, I couldn't accept a Deity that had been handed down to me and that I had no experience with. Atheism was too definite without any proof behind it either just 'God doesn't exist, that's all there is to it.' Takes a lot of faith to say that and stick to it. Agnosticism, it wasn't a matter of taking the middle ground because I couldn't decide on either Atheism or Christianity, since I'd out right rejected both and the middle between No and No is still No. There was no middle ground to exist in. It was more a matter of I knew what I believed in, just didn't have a name for it. "Heh," I copied his grunt and snort combination. "I guess we should call this idea of your Konousism eh?" He chuckled a little in return, which began to grow in strength, which eventually turned into an infectious laugh that took its hold over me.

Here we are, just laughing it all away, our worries, our troubles, our suffering, our problems, our imminent doom away. It was both joyous...and sad. Joyous because I think for the fist time in a long time, each of us had found something we'd both missed deeply. A friend. Sad because we only found our friend when it should be near our deaths.

The laughter lessened, and gave way to, and lessened, and eventually gave way to heavy giggles, then light chuckles and stopped at all. And what was left was a stillness between us. I broke it. "Konous-Negative, if you had the chance after this? Would you tell her?" I asked. A long pause, not an easy thing to consider at all I think. Then a response came. "Yes, yes I would."

The stillness returned, it just wanted to eat away at us didn't it? Take away our hope, whisper despair into our ears, it wanted to help take away the one thing we had left...hope. I can't let that happen. "Alright then it's settled. First thing we do, you and I, we're going to have you walk up to Numina and you're going to confess your love for her. Soon as we're out of here." With such vigor I finish my statement that I almost believe it myself. I know it'll never happen, but you know it wouldn't hurt to at least pretend it would happen.

Dry, dry as any arid field long since removed of it's fertility, a laugh escapes Konous-Negative. "Heh, I wish, I really wish I had your sense of Will Meegelle, I truly do. You really are amazing my boy. You truly are. Thank you though, your attempts at levity are...appreciated, much as I don't want a Good person to know that, it's the truth." He raises his head to the roof of the tomb. "This place, not to kick this already bloodied horse but you know what I told you, we're not leaving it, you know it. I know it. We're far to deep and far too far away, it wouldn't be possible."

Rage washed over me, not the kind you get when you get cheated by some punk on the road, or the rage you get when you find out your girl friend cheated on you, it's the Rage that people feel at someone who's cutting themselves short, at someone who's giving in far too early. It's a Rage all of a friend watching another give into despair. "How can you say that?! How?! We're...well you...I'm a Hero, you're a Villain, we belong to a society that respectively holds their own beings of nearly god like powers. How can you say we'll never get out of this man? It's so impossible to believe? Someone had to have heard the sonic resonance your device created, easily! They're probably looking for us right now. We can't give up hope."

And once more Silence fills the already full room. It takes it's seat from Despair who's exited long ago, his movie and entertainment gone. "Amazing, I said it before but," He pauses, probably to gather his thoughts about what I said. "I mean it now without the insincere attitude. I do, Meegelle out of all the Heroes I've met none have your strength of Will. None. When others would give up you stand tall. I must be frank, even I'm awed by its potency, it far surpasses mine Meegelle, your Will." He ends.

Looking to the side I took note of the interesting shade of grey the rocks were. I'm embarrassed and thankful. "Thanks, but when you say Will, you mean just will power right?" A tiny wave of his fingers, like he's playing with some unseen note in the air painting some music on a canvas. He stands, another hand behind his back, he's back in Professor mode again. "Will, it is something so much more than that my boy. Will power is a dumbed down version, the ability to resist temptations, no, that is not what Will is. Will, is anything you are set on, your gumption, your determination, your sheer brilliance, power, and imagination rolled into one. But not only that your willingness to use the resources you have around you allow you to achieve your ends. Will, when the resource is easy to find, someone would not have a strong Will. Because you must be **Will**ing," He says placing extreme emphasis on Will. "to look through your resources as hard as you can, for the uncommon combination that will yield your success. Therefore, the more ingenuitive and determined you are, the more your Will shows. "

His finger twirling reaches a crescendo till he brings his fingers together in a clasp tapping his two index fingers together right in front of his eyes. "And you my dear boy, despite all things, I see the reason now why you are where you are now. Why you were able to foil my plot. It was that Will of yours. That infernal thing!" He raised his fist in there air. "Will, it fuels everything my boy, every daily act is focused by our Will." He pauses, allowing himself a chance to lower his voice, and began striking dramatic poses not unlike those of the television shows emulating the daily rigors of Heroes, which actually turn out to be blatantly over dramaticized. "The Heroes we see, who've gotten their powers for free, are like spoiled children in highly overly developed bodies. Especially the women I mean good lord have you _seen_some of the breasts on them? Some that don't even have super strength have ones that would take Hercules to lift! But I digress.

"Continuing, they are hardly what I or anyone should call Heroes, since they're more than anything out for the glory. But, I also find that those that suffer for their powers, those that are burden, and especially those Natural heroes like you, people without powers, have an amazing Will. Because you are determined to help people, because of your sufferings at Evil your Will is undeniably strong and which I believe is the cause of why you've lasted so long. And it is why we shall die now, unfortunately."

I blinked. Well he's got me again. He has a good point most of the heroes I do know are nothing more than selfish ingrates just doing it for the glory and gals(or guys). There are 5 origin types. Science heroes, people who have gotten their powers through some accident of some sort. Mutation people who's powers come innately from a genetic disposition within their DNA. Magic, heroes who's powers are derived of the ethereal energies of the universe focusing them for their own use. Technology people who have no powers and who's abilities come from super advanced tech. And last but not least my kind, Naturals, people without powers, more often than not just trying to do what they can to help out. Konous-Negative is right, the hardships that people have to over come as heroes, those even those with powers and those without are shown strongest in those who are willing to take all the suffering they possibly can for the sake of others. And only they have the strongest Wills.

My inner musings were cut short as I began to feel more so than hear a profound vibration all around me. A rumbling that shook the precarious stones above and around us yet never seemed to cause them to fall. I looked at Konous-Negative and I know behind his shroud his face mirrored the same thoughts as mine. They were coming, they'd found us. "This is my boy, when they come through one of us will die." I still can't accept it, Denial will not let me. I had never acceded to its will before, but now, now that I have something to actually lose, it hurts. It hurts to know in your head that it is the truth, but it hurts even more so that you can't just let go, it won't let you, Denial refuses to let you. "How can you say that?! They can't kill you they're Heroes!" The vibrations were getting stronger, once again the ceiling above is beginning to shake and crumble but it's not the same as before. Two enemies entered here, but should not two friends be able to leave? "Yes they are. But they are also people, whom I have hurt over and over, they will attempt to kill me Meegelle, if not I will be given the death sentence eventually." I clench my fist around my sword in absolute rage. Damn it! It isn't fair! "I could stop them and you could get away!" He nodded but it was fast and extremely overt yelling out a definitive 'No'. "Oh yes, and then what? You will be arrested for helping out a known extremely wanted criminal, I will be out on the loose again. Don't think I intend to stop being who I am Meegelle simply because of this," Again for the last time he's in professor mode. The rocks are almost through, I can hear the voices on the other side. "Even if they didn't arrest you Meegelle, I am a Villain, I am Evil, I can not stop simply being that because you are my friend, and I would not believe it possible for me to ask the same of you. We are who were are Meegelle, and I can assure you, if I do manage to get out of here I will double my efforts nay tripple them because I know you are out there and with the ability to stop me. I will not stop Meegelle and I know you won't either, our Wills won't let us, and that's what we'll be doomed to, an eternity of combating someone we don't want to." Light, not sunlight, artificial, from lamps, and the voices are clearer now. "Is anyone down there?" "Meegelle! Can you hear me?!" It's Unai, he's with them.

I looked back to Konous-Negative, he wasn't moving, he didn't dare lest they see him. "Make your choice." It hurts. It will for a long time. I charge and run, my sword readily drawn, and thrust forward into his stomach. Tears are running down my face, it hurts, I keep pressing in ward trying to end it faster for him. "They don't have the right to kill you. I won't let them." He looks back at me sombre eyes. "Thank you, I was glad, to have a friend like you."

And thus Konous-Negative fell to Meegelle's shoulder as the life left his body, right after he had found a reason to go one living: someone who could understand him, not someone like him in every way, but someone who could look at him and say that they could sympathize with who he was as a person. It is that one thing that all human beings and otherwise search for, for is not understanding the truest meaning of Friendship?


End file.
